Africa’s forests now a net carbon source, study finds

ISTANBUL

Africa’s forests and woodlands, long considered a vital carbon sink, have become a net source of carbon due to deforestation and forest degradation, a new study published Friday in Scientific Reports showed.

Researchers used high-resolution satellite data, validated with field measurements, to map changes in aboveground woody biomass across the continent from 2007 to 2017.

They found that Africa gained 439 million tons of biomass per year between 2007 and 2010, but experienced losses of 132 million tons per year from 2010 to 2015 and 41 million tons per year from 2015 to 2017.

The losses were concentrated in tropical moist broadleaf forests, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and parts of West Africa.

According to the study, the transition from a carbon sink to a source highlights the urgent need for strengthened conservation policies and forest restoration initiatives.

Gains in savanna regions, likely driven by shrub encroachment, partially offset forest losses but were not enough to reverse the trend.

Africa’s forests historically removed about 20% of global carbon emissions through photosynthesis.

The new findings suggest that continued forest loss could undermine international climate targets, including the Paris Agreement.

The study’s authors called for more ambitious commitments in the ongoing revision of Nationally Determined Contributions and stronger global efforts to halt deforestation, as pledged in the Glasgow Leaders Declaration.