HC Deb 23 May 1989 vol 153 c450W
Q173. Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Prime Minister what information she has received concerning the rate of destruction of the world's forests for each of the past 20 years; and if she will make a statement.

The Prime Minister

Data on the rate of destruction of the world's forests are not available on an annual basis. The latest internationally comparable figures were published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation in 1982 and relate to tropical forests during the period 1976–1980. Annual deforestation rates for all tropical closed forests by region and worldwide were:

Tropical closed forest
Area lost(Millions of hectares/year) Per cent. of total area
Africa 1.33 0.61
Asia, Pacific 1.82 0.59
Latin America 4.12 0.61
Total 7.27 0.61

Comparable data for earlier periods are not available. The FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme will make a second forest resources assessment in 1990.