We’ve Lost 35 Percent of Forests in the Past 300 Years

Removing wooded areas is called deforestation and it’s often for human benefit. But the impact of deforestation could be devastating to the environment.

By Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi
Sep 3, 2022 2:00 PM
Deforestation
(Credit: Tarcisio Schnaider/Shutterstock)

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Since 1990, an estimated 178 million hectares of forest have been lost worldwide. And one hectare is around 100,000 square feet, making this estimate the equivalent to an area the size of Libya.

From 2015-2020, an estimated 10 million hectares worldwide were deforested each year. Environmental scientists warn that forest restoration is needed, or the environmental impact will be devastating and lead to long-term climate consequences.

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