Deal at COP26 to halt deforestation welcomed, but 'we have to wait and see': Expert

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

GLASGOW, Scotland (AA) – An announcement by world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) promising to end and reverse deforestation across the planet by 2030 is a welcomed step, but “we will have to wait and see” how the pledges made there will materialize, said an expert on forests.

Josefina Brana Varela, the vice president and deputy lead of the forest team at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said the “high-level statements we heard yesterday and the announcement we heard today on the Glasgow Declaration on Forests (and Land Use) are important,” as they are bringing together many stakeholders, including from the private sector, public sector, indigenous people, and local communities.

“So it is making this a very good day for forests and the planet, but we have to wait and see how the pledges will materialize in real life,” said Brana Varela, speaking to Anadolu Agency.

She was referring to an announcement at COP26 being held in Glasgow, Scotland that committed to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Under the agreement, 12 countries also pledged to spend $12 billion in public funds between 2021 and 2025 to protect and restore forests and an additional $7.2 billion will be provided by private investors.

- Global problem

Speaking on the global problem of deforestation, Brana Varela said the world has “lost already the 40% of our forests that the planet had originally.”

“So this is not a localized problem of one continent.

“Deforestation rates in Southeast Asia are ramping, but we also have the deforestation of boreal forests taking place. So it is a global situation,” she added.

- Africa nations vulnerable

Nachilala Nkombo, the WWF’s country director for Zambia, said African nations are “extremely vulnerable” to the threat of climate change.

Nkombo said the continent feels the effects of climate change from Oceanic landscapes to inland ecosystems.

Climate change “manifests itself in various ways, and the biggest problem around is drought,” where food production is affected, she said.

She highlighted that governments need to find extra money to deal with the impacts of crop failure as well as emergency responses.

According to the WWF, up to 15 billion trees are being cut down every year across the world.

Nkombo also pointed out that when countries such as Zambia do not receive enough rains, communities and businesses need to depend on “less clean energy” as 80% of the country’s electricity needs are sourced from hydropower dams.

She said floods, which are directly related to deforestation, are another threat for Africa, both in coastal and non-coastal regions, and “again, our governments have to contend with the damage.”

- Forests help planet

Forests have a big influence on rainfall patterns, water and soil quality, and flood prevention, the WWF says, adding that “millions of people rely directly on forests as their home or for making a living.”

The risk from deforestation goes even wider as trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, and “if forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.”

Forest loss and damage are the cause of around 10% of global warming, the WWF says.