Satellite imagery released by the UN shows Africa is losing more than four million hectares of forest every year.
The UN Environment Programme’s 400-page Atlas of Africa, presented to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment on Tuesday, says loss of forest is a “major concern” in 35 countries.
Countries highlighted include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Nigeria and Rwanda.
The Atlas also says the continent’s deforestation rate is twice the world’s average deforestation rate.
It contains more than 300 satellite photos taken in every country in Africa in more than 100 locations. Before and after pictures, some of which span a 35-year period, are designed to show environmental transformation across the continent.
Individual images, maps and graphs can be downloaded from www.unep.org/dewa/africa/AfricaAtlas
