2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT

This document provides the technical annexes for the 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment, detailing the definitions, regional aggregations, and methodologies used to track forest loss, degradation, restoration, and biodiversity. It includes a specific data table comparing 2022 deforestation levels against a 2018-2020 baseline for 30 high-impact countries.

• The Assessment uses a 'gross zero' interpretation of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which aims to "halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030". This approach tracks gross loss rather than net zero, with a linear reduction pathway requiring a 10 percent reduction in loss relative to the 2018-2020 baseline for each year from 2021 to 2030.
• In 2022, Brazil had the highest absolute level of deforestation at 2.34 million hectares (Mha), representing a 21% increase from the 2018-2020 baseline and a 51% deviation from its 2022 interim target of 1.55 Mha.
• Several countries showed a decrease in deforestation in 2022 compared to the 2018-2020 baseline, including Vietnam (-35%), Nicaragua (-43%), Venezuela (-61%), Malaysia (-32%), and Indonesia (-21%).
• Deforestation is defined as tree cover loss that is "permanent in nature", such as conversion to cropland or development, or loss within "humid tropical primary forest boundaries".
• Forest degradation is measured using the Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII), which scales from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) and combines data on human pressures and losses in forest connectivity. The 2030 target for this indicator is "zero further degradation".
• The Assessment monitors forest biodiversity through two primary indicators: Forested Key Biodiversity Areas (fKBAs), of which 6,822 sites were identified, and the Forest Specialists Index (FSI), which tracks population trends of vertebrate species that live only in forest habitats.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2023). 2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-FDA-Theme-1-Annexes.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. 2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT. 2023. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-FDA-Theme-1-Annexes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT |date=2023 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-FDA-Theme-1-Annexes.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment20232023, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2023}, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-FDA-Theme-1-Annexes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }