Launched in 2015, the SEPAL platform hosts over 7,000 users currently engaged in anti-deforestation efforts. Photo: Crustmania Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Photo: Crustmania Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

FAO relaunches open-source data to curb tropical deforestation

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Phase 2 of SEPAL, the digital land monitoring program launched by the UN organization, is underway. The target are the tropical areas, which are the epicenter of global deforestation.
Congo's forests are one of the largest global sinks of irrecoverable carbon. Photo: Marie Frechon. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Photo: Marie Frechon. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

“Irrecoverable carbon released from forests is driving climate change”

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The world stores at least 139 billion tons of carbon that once dispersed cannot be offset in time. Protection of endangered areas and indigenous communities is essential
Jequitibá and Jatobà trees in the municipality of Mococa, in the State of São Paulo. Brazil has the highest number of endangered species in the world. Photo: Mauro Halpern Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Mauro Halpern Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

It’s not just the Amazon: one third of trees species in the world risks extinction

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From Asia to Europe 30% of trees species could disappear, says BGCI. Human activities and climate change under scrutiny. The solutions? Expanding protected areas and raising more funds
Nel 2023 la Commissione UE finalizzerà la Nature Restoration Law con l’obiettivo di tutelare legalmente il suolo e azzerare il consumo netto entro il 2050. Foto: Gerd Altmann Creative Commons CC0 Public domain

EU ready to work on soil law: “Net consumption must go to zero by 2050”

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The Commission has announced a European law for soil protection by 2023. Debora Fino (Re Soil): "An historic choice, now Member States can take a major step forward". Concerns over France and Germany's position
The Ulan Buh desert in Mongolia hosted the first large-scale trial conducted by Chinese researchers. Photo: 摩游乐 Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)摩游乐 Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

“Without nature conservation, we should expect more pandemics despite vaccines”, scientists say

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Harvard researchers: ecosystem degradation drives new pandemics. "Covid has already required $6 trillion spending. Protecting nature would cost 50 times less"
The sharp decline in biodiversity recorded among common birds in European farmland is a wake-up call for soil health. Photo: Pixabay License Free for commercial use Attribution not requiredPixabay License Free for commercial use Attribution not required

“Intensive agricultural practices are harming birds”. As biodiversity crisis deepens

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Unsustainable land management is harming common birds in agricultural areas, according to Czech ornithologist Petr Voříšek. Their biodiversity index has plummeted in the last 40 years.
In Indonesia, emissions from land use change and forestry sector have contributed to nearly half of the country's emissions over the past 20 years. Photo: Deanna Ramsay/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Deanna Ramsay/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Climate activists worried as Indonesia leaves anti-deforestation deal with Norway

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The termination of the agreement on tree preservation between Oslo and Jakarta puts Indonesia's commitment at risk. As the country has already lost almost 10 million hectares of primary forests in the 21st century.
The share of global population exposed to flood events has increased by 24% in the 21st century. Photo: Thearat Touch EU/ECHO Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Thearat Touch EU/ECHO Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

21st century floods have already affected nearly 300 million people

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The share of global population exposed to flood risk has grown at a 10 times faster pace than previously estimated with Asia as epicenter, The University of Arizona says.
In Nigeria, the traditional method for producing Kilishi has proved highly unsustainable. Photo: Fatima Bukar Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Fatima Bukar Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nigeria is acting against deforestation trought sustainable dried meat

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Changing the production method of a traditional Nigerian delicacy to protect trees and climate. Here's the lesson of a solar powered plant in a country devastated by deforestation
The Ulan Buh desert in Mongolia hosted the first large-scale trial conducted by Chinese researchers. Photo: 摩游乐 Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)摩游乐 Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

China is fighting desertification by adding cellulose to sand

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Chinese researchers offer a solution to soil degradation: a plant paste that can turn the desert into a grassland. The new technology might help 500 million people in Central Asia