According to recently released key findings of FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA 2005), forest area in Nepal is decreasing. FRA examines the current status and recent trends for about 40 variables covering the extent, condition, uses and values of forests and other wooded land, with the aim of assessing all benefits from forest resources. The final report is to be released in early 2006.
Nepal is categorized into countries with more than 0.5% annual decrease rate. The total forest in Nepal area decreased from 39,000 sq. km in 2000 to 36,360 sq. km in 2005, while the 'other wooded land' increased from 2000 figures. The total growing stock of forest and other wooded land combined decreased from 694 to 647 million cubic meters.
Full Nepal country report is available here.
Globally the net change in forest area in the period 2000–2005 is estimated at –7.3 million hectares per year (an area about the size of Sierra Leone or Panama), down from –8.9 million hectares per year in the period 1990–2000. Africa and South America continued to have the largest net loss of forests. Oceania and North and Central America also had a net loss of forests. The forest area in Europe continued to expand, although at a slower rate. Asia, which had a net loss in the 1990s, reported a net gain of forests in the period 2000–2005, primarily due to large-scale afforestation reported by China.
Update: FRA 2005 ranks Nepal 8th in the countries with worst deforestation rate of primary forests. 7000 ha of primary forests were lost in Nepal each year during the period of 2000-05.
Worst deforestation rate of primary forests, 2000-2005. All countries.
1 Nigeria 55.7%
2 Viet Nam 54.5%
3 Cambodia 29.4%
4 Sri Lanka 15.2%
5 Malawi 14.9%
6 Indonesia 12.9%
7 North Korea 9.3%
8 Nepal 9.1%
9 Panama 6.7%
10 Guatemala 6.4%
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