Forests, long considered crucial carbon sinks, are increasingly releasing more carbon than they store.
A new policy brief from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) warns that some fire-prone forests have become “super-emitters”, reversing decades of climate progress.
Once seen as climate allies, forests in the Arctic, Amazon and Australia are now contributing to rising emissions due to frequent, intense wildfires.
The brief warns that “planting trees is no longer enough – warming, drought‑stressed forests can flip into vast carbon sources when they burn,” said Dr Ju Hyoung Lee, lead author of the report.
The traditional approach of valuing tree-planting alone fails to account for changing realities. Current carbon-offset schemes rarely consider future fire risk or ecological stress.
In some areas, afforestation may increase fuel loads, creating dangerous fire conditions and undermining emissions targets.
The report calls for a shift from static protection to dynamic risk management. Forest longevity and vulnerability must now be central to carbon market eligibility. “Forest policy must move from static protection to dynamic risk management,” added Dr Lee.
To improve decision-making, the authors advocate integrating real-time satellite data to track canopy health, soil moisture, and drought risk.
“Forests are our powerful allies against climate change – but only if we manage them as living, dynamic systems,” said Professor Kaveh Madani, UNU-INWEH Director.
Controlled harvesting, managed grazing and moisture retention strategies may, in some regions, be more effective than planting alone.
The report urges development of a global monitoring platform to ensure that carbon finance reflects forest health throughout a project’s lifetime.
As forests grow more vulnerable, smarter carbon strategies are essential to safeguard both emissions targets and ecosystems.
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