The world's forests are in crisis. Almost half of the Earth's original forests have been destroyed and, of what remains, only a tiny fraction is adequately protected. Worldwide, some 26 hectares of forests (the equivalent of 37 football fields) are being lost every minute. Worldwide demand for paper has increased fivefold since the 1950s, and it is expected to double again over the next 50 years.

For millions of years, the high peaks and deep valleys of China's forests have promoted speciation and provided refuge during ice ages, and as a result, are the most biologically diverse temperate forests on earth. China's forests harbor over 2800 tree species and multitudes of other plants, and are also home to numerous rare and threatened animals such as the giant panda, golden monkey, snow leopard, and crested ibis. Forested uplands protect China's lowland river valleys by storing rainfall and gradually releasing it so as to reduce the severity of droughts and floods, preventing soils from eroding, and making possible the country's intensive irrigated agriculture system. Forests also provide 40% of the fuel for rural households. For these reasons, China has been called the most forest-dependent civilization in the world.

Basic facts

• Since 1998, China has stopped commercial logging of its natural forest in 17 provinces. However, China is now the world's second largest wood importer (after the US), with nearly 15 million cubic meters of timber imported in 2000 (as compared to about 4 million cubic meters before the ban), and is hastening the destruction of South-east Asian and Siberian forests.



• Logging, in large part responsible for the tragic floods in China in 1998, led to over 2500 deaths, the displacement of millions of people, and billions of dollars in damages



• Forests cover only 17% of China's territory, compared to an international average of 34%

• Logging of forests



• Clearance of forests for agriculture and other uses



• Climate change/global warming

• To protect forests and manage them efficiently



• Promote sustainable forest management, forest certification, and trade in certified products



• Restore forests through planned processes that aim to conserve biodiversity and enhance options for people's livelihoods.

• Promoting a more representative and effective network of forest protected areas



• Encouraging the sustainable use and maintenance of natural forest cover outside of protected areas



• Implementing ecologically and socially appropriate forest restoration



• Minimizing the negative impacts of China's logging ban outside of China

• Guaranteeing a future for forests with certification
  In 1999, WWF helped introduce the concept of timber certification into China by co-sponsoring with the State Forest Administration the first conference on certification ever held in the country. A National Working Group on Forest Certification in China was established in May 2001. China now has four certified forests (Youhao Forestry Bureau (242,983 ha) in Heilongjiang Province; Baihe Forestry Bureau (182,375 ha) in Jilin Province; Jia Yao Forestry Development Company (5,237 ha)in Guangdong province; and Changhua Forest Farm (940 ha) in Zhejiang province. In addition, over 90 wood processing companies that have been certified for chain-of-custody (CoC) under the FSC scheme.



• Ensuring a forest fit for Tigers
  Since 2001, WWF China has been working to establish new reserves in the forests and wetlands of Northeastern China. With the support of WWF China, 24 new protected areas in Heilongjiang province in northeast China, totaling 1.8 million hectares, were created between 2002 and 2005. The government will add another 1 million hectares by 2010, bringing the province's total protected area cover to 6.4 million hectares, occupying 14% of the total territory of Heilongjiang province.



• Restoring the world’s richest temperate forest in Minshan
  WWF supported a landscape approach that helped local government and communities balance the different demands they place on forest resources. The experience and knowledge gained from this project is currently being used to develop a larger scale forest ecosystem restoration project.