Title:
Deforestation Decreased Over the Past 10 Years
Description: This is
a VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
See text below
Text:
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
says deforestation has decreased over the past ten
years. But it still continues at a high rate in many
countries. Deforestation is mainly caused by the
cutting down of tropical forests to provide land for
agriculture.
The worlds total forest area is just over four
billion hectares.
About thirteen million hectares of forest were cut
down or lost through natural causes each year in the
last ten years. This compares with about sixteen
million hectares per year during the nineteen
nineties.
The FAO study covers two hundred thirty-three
countries and areas.
The study found that Brazil and Indonesia have
reduced their deforestation rates. The two countries
had the highest loss of forests in
the nineteen nineties. In addition,
the study noted tree-planting programs in countries
such as China, India, Vietnam and the United States.
These programs, along with natural expansion of
forests in some areas, have added more than seven
million hectares of new forests each year.
South America and Africa had the highest yearly loss
of forests during the last ten years. South America
lost four million hectares. Africa lost almost three
and a half million hectares. However, Asia gained
more than two million hectares a year in the last
decade. In North America and Central America, the
forest area remained about the same. In Europe,
it continued to expand, but at a slower rate than
earlier.
Eduardo Rojas is assistant director-general of FAOs
Forestry Department. He said for the first time, the
rate of deforestation has decreased around the
world. This is the result of efforts taken at local
and international levels. Mister Rojas said
countries have improved their forest policies and
legislation. They have also provided forests for use
by local communities and native peoples and for the
protection of biological diversity.
He said this is a welcome message in two thousand
ten the International Year of Biodiversity.
However, Mister Rojas said the rate of deforestation
is still very high in many areas. He said countries
must strengthen their efforts to better protect and
manage their forests.
And thats the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report. You can find transcripts, MP3s, podcasts and
captioned videos at voaspecialenglish.com.
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personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
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