Blog Posts: forests

On the edges of Tambopata National Reserve, one project shows how agroforestry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost local economies.

Initiative 20x20 aims to restore 20 million hectares (49 million acres) of degraded land in Latin America. In this conversation with WRI Senior Fellow Walter Vergara and Etienne Demarais, CEO of URAPI Sustainable Land Use, we hear how they plan to get there.

Structured around recordings from Bergen's visits to central Africa—think elephants, song and markets—this podcast explores her unique role within WRI, working for more sustainable forest management in the Congo Basin.

Green infrastructure like forests, wetlands and coral reefs can help traditional “gray infrastructure” perform better. Yet, green-gray infrastructure projects remain relatively niche, mainly because of persistent myths about their costs and feasibility.

Satellite data shows that several U.S. states saw some of their most devastating fires in recent history in 2018.

There are more than 570 million farms in the world. We know shockingly little about them.

Indonesia is one of few tropical nations actually decreasing deforestation. As a result, the country will earn its first payment as part of the UN's REDD+, a program where developed nations pay developing ones to reduce emissions by protecting forests.

Peruvian indigenous communities have shown themselves to be exceptional environmental and conservation leaders. Their leaders have worked for a decade to ensure a government commitment to conserve 54 million hectares of forest, as a part of the REDD+ program.

Malawi's growing population depends on forests for wood or charcoal for cooking, but these forests are being cleared for agriculture, which 80 percent of Malawians rely on to support themselves. To combat this potentially disastrous trend, Malawi's government plans to pay its young people to plant trees.

In two of Indonesia's prized parks, forest restoration only took off when drivers of degradation were addressed. In one instance, that meant providing affordable health care.