The forest area in Russia increased by 73,4 million hectares in the period of 2001-2023, reaching 795,4 million hectares, the Russian Agricultural Bank estimated.
According to the assessment of the credit institution, during the specified period, the amount of forest cover losses does not exceed and even supports the growth trend of green spaces. By world standards, Russia is one of the leaders in terms of forest restoration rates.
In the Russian Federation, the leaders in restoration in 2023 were the Far Eastern Federal District, where the increase in forest cover amounted to 403,000 hectares, the Siberian Federal District with 400,000 hectares and the Northwestern Federal District at 303,500 hectares.
The most extensive work on artificial reforestation was carried out in the Irkutsk region – an increase of 17,500 hectares and the Tver region at 14,000 hectares.
The Federal Forest Conservation Project has also played a significant role in increasing forest areas. Over the past five years of its implementation, the total area of restored and cultivated forests has amounted to 6,3 million hectares, which exceeds the plan for 2024.
Successes in the restoration of forest areas allow Russia to maintain its important role in the global forest fund, representing a fifth of the total global forest volume.
However, despite the successes achieved, problems such as forest fires, logging and parasite infestations continue to be relevant.
The Federal Forest Conservation Project is designed to reduce damage from forest fires and other threats, supporting the stable growth of forests and ensuring the environmental sustainability of the country, vedomosti.ru reports.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
