UNESCO world heritage forests absorb 190 million tons of carbon dioxide

The set of forests that are part of that list occupies a total area of 69 million hectares (twice the size of Germany) and form a set of ecosystems rich in biodiversity that, in addition to absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (CO₂ ) accumulate large amounts of carbon. However, the report also highlights that 10 of these forests emitted more carbon dioxide than they absorbed, especially under pressure from human activity and climate change.

The forests that are part of the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization absorb 190 million tons of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere every year, according to a study by the specialized agency of the ONU. The figure represents about half of the CO ₂ from fossil fuels emitted annually in the UK.

However, the report also highlights that, in 10 of these forests, out of a total of 257, they emitted more carbon dioxide than they absorbed, especially due to the pressure exerted by human activity and climate change, which UNESCO considers alarming. .

Specifically, the study refers to the fragmentation of the land due to logging and the clearing of the forest for the benefit of agriculture in many places, as causes that cause emissions greater than the amount of carbon sequestered.

Other causes that caused this phenomenon are related to the increase in the size and severity of forest fires, which are often related to long periods of drought due to global warming, and extreme weather events such as hurricanes that slow down the capacity of carbon absorption.

The forecasts for the coming years are not positive and suggest that carbon sequestration in the forests that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List will be disturbed by the progressive degradation and fragmentation of the land and climatic events more and more more frequent and intense.

World Heritage forests occupy 69 million hectares

The research results are part of a joint effort by researchers from UNESCO, the World Resources Institute and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Scientists calculated the amount of CO2 captured and expelled by World Heritage forests between 2001 and 2020 and determined the causes of certain emissions

The set of forests that are part of the world heritage occupies a total area of 69 million hectares (twice the size of Germany) and form a set of ecosystems rich in biodiversity that, in addition to absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, accumulate large amounts of carbon.

The carbon accumulated by the forests for centuries amounts to about 13,000 million tons of this chemical element, a figure greater than all the existing oil reserves in Kuwait.

UNESCO highlights that, if all the carbon stored in these forests were released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide, this situation would mean adding a third to the amount of CO ₂ that is emitted annually on the planet.

Forests need strong protection and sustainable management

The study calls for safeguarding UNESCO World Heritage sites and their surrounding landscapes with strong protection and sustainable management to ensure that these forests continue to act as carbon sinks for future generations.

To achieve this goal, the UN specialized agency recommends taking measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as maintain and strengthen ecological corridors that allow better management of landscapes.

As an example, government agencies in Indonesia have used near real-time fire warning systems to significantly reduce their response times.

The Report also recommends integrating the permanent management of UNESCO World Heritage Sites into international, national and local strategies related to climate, biodiversity and sustainable development, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, the framework world biodiversity after 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: UN News