ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s forest resources have grown significantly, said one of the top experts on the subject, adding that its forest assets have grown 92%, from 935 million cubic meters to 1.8 billion cubic meters, showing that Türkiye has “not only expanded its forests but also improved their quality.”

Speaking to Anadolu, senior forest engineer Ismail Belen, also chair of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), assessed the figures in the State of the World’s Forests 2024 report, recently published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The world’s total global forest area spans approximately 4 billion hectares, or 31% of the Earth's land surface, he said. Belen also stressed that forests in tropical, boreal, and temperate zones are particularly under pressure from fires, pests, and excessive exploitation.

Belen said this pressure leads to both a loss in forest area and quality, resulting in secondary forests and fragmented ecosystems.

Citing the report, he said wildfires in 2023 released 6,687 megatons of carbon dioxide – twice the EU’s annual fossil fuel emissions – highlighting the increasing frequency and intensity of fires. He said drought, extreme heat, and poor land management practices are fueling the problem.

Globally, an average of 340-370 million hectares are affected by fires each year, including 67 million hectares of forested areas, he added.

Belen noted that wildfires have increased by an average of 5.4% annually over the past decade, saying: “Climate change is the main driver of this rise. If the current trend continues, fire-affected areas could increase by 50% by the end of the century. Smoke can also travel thousands of kilometers, causing air pollution and respiratory illnesses.”

Reforestation in China, India, and Türkiye eases net forest loss, but global deforestation persists

Belen stated that global forest area has declined since the 1970s, with about 420 million hectares converted to other land uses between 1990 and 2020.

He noted that the annual net loss dropped from 15.8 million hectares (1990–2000) to 5.2 million (2000–2010), and then to 4.7 million (2010–2020).

Belen stressed that reforestation efforts in countries like China, India, and Türkiye have helped reduce net loss, positively impacting the global forest balance – though overall deforestation still continues.

According to FAO data, Türkiye rose from 46th place in 2015 to 27th in 2020 among countries increasing forest assets. In the same year, Türkiye ranked first in Europe and fourth globally in afforestation efforts.

As chair of the UN Forum on Forests, Belen also said Türkiye is among the leading countries in wildfire preparedness and response capacity.

Belen noted a significant shift in the geographic pattern of wildfires, pointing out a recent “northward movement.” He said: "Forest fires used to be associated with the Mediterranean region, but now they’re also occurring in Black Sea provinces."

This trend isn’t unique to Türkiye, Belen added, highlighting that northern regions such as Canada, Siberia, and Scandinavia are now also under wildfire threat. In 2023 alone, one fire in Canada burned 3 million hectares, and a decade ago, 20 million hectares were severely damaged in Siberia.

'Forests are not only the state's responsibility but a shared value of society'

He emphasized that wood, one of the most sustainable building materials environmentally and economically, emits up to 30 times less carbon than steel or cement, while also being local, renewable, and reducing energy dependence.

Under the Turkish Forestry Directorate, he said, several initiatives have been launched to promote wood use.

He added: "Forests are not only the state's responsibility but a shared value of society."