50 Million Hectares of Deforested Land to Be Restored

A massive restoration project will restore 50 million hectares of land in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2030.

18 nations commited to Initiative 20×20, a project that is sparking hope for forest recovery across Latin America and the Caribbean. Though the project began back in 2014, new satellite data is making it more feasible than ever to analyze the restoration progress.

Many nations – including Brazil, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay – have achieved an overall net gain in tree cover since the project’s launch. Meanwhile, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile lead the way in conserving their protected forest areas. Amazingly, El Salvador was the only one of the 18 nations that experienced tree cover gain across all land types, including protected and non-protected areas. Though some countries are on their way to success, others have stayed the same, while others have decreased their net tree cover. With only five more years until Initiative 20×20 officially ends, the latest satellite data will help rebuild momentum and pave the way for further policies and incentives that may help nations reach their end goal.