Russia's Forests Face Persistent Wildfire Threats and Tree Cover Challenges

Russia's Forests Face Persistent Wildfire Threats and Tree Cover Challenges

Russia, a country with a vast expanse of forested land, is grappling with the persistent threat of wildfires and significant tree cover loss. Over the years, the nation has experienced a fluctuating but overall concerning trend in tree cover loss, primarily driven by forestry activities and wildfires. The data reveals that the tree cover extent in Russia, which is approximately 761 million hectares, has been facing a net change in tree cover with a slight decrease of 0.02%.

Wildfires have consistently been a significant driver of tree cover loss, with recent incidents like the one in Sakha Republic highlighting the ongoing challenges. The impact of these fires is profound, contributing to substantial emissions of CO2 equivalent gases. For instance, in 2022 alone, wildfires accounted for a tree cover loss of over 3.10 million hectares, with associated emissions nearing 381 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent.