Hectares of Replanted Forests
CURRENT TOTAL
Live Counter Notable Facts
(Data shown in the table is for 2025. Counter shows current estimate)
Annual Planting Need
Current Planting
Restoration Target
Understanding Hectares of Replanted Forests
This counter tracks the global area of forests being replanted and restored through reforestation efforts. To meet international climate and biodiversity goals, the world needs to restore 350 million hectares by 2030 - an area larger than India - requiring 23 million hectares of restoration annually.
Current reforestation efforts fall far short of needs. While countries have pledged to restore 74 nations' worth of degraded land through initiatives like the Bonn Challenge, actual planting rates of 5-10 million hectares annually are less than half what's required to meet 2030 targets.
Successful reforestation goes beyond just planting trees. China has planted 338,000 square kilometers of forests since 2013, while initiatives in Africa aim to restore 100 million hectares. However, ensuring long-term survival requires community engagement, appropriate species selection, and sustained management.
Global Reforestation Progress Overview
- The reforestation pipeline faces massive challenges - achieving 350 million hectares by 2030 would require $33 billion investment and 30 billion trees, necessitating a 2.3-fold increase in global nursery production capacity.
- Natural regeneration often proves more effective than planting, with countries like Costa Rica and Niger demonstrating that protecting existing root systems and enabling regrowth can restore forests at lower cost with higher survival rates.
- Major initiatives are underway globally: China's 26 billion tree goal by 2025, Africa's Great Green Wall spanning 8,000km, and the US identifying 148 million acres of reforestation opportunity that could capture 535 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
- Success rates vary dramatically - while industrial plantations may achieve 90% survival, many semi-arid restoration projects see less than 50% of planted trees survive, highlighting the importance of appropriate techniques and long-term care.
Reforestation Terminology
- Reforestation: Replanting forests on previously forested land
- Afforestation: Creating new forests on land not previously forested
- Natural Regeneration: Allowing forests to regrow without planting
- Restoration: Returning degraded land to healthy forest ecosystem
Major Reforestation Initiatives
- Bonn Challenge: 350 million hectares by 2030
- AFR100 (Africa): 100 million hectares by 2030
- Initiative 20x20 (Latin America): 20 million hectares
- China's Green Wall: 66 billion trees planted
- Trillion Tree Campaign: Global citizen movement
Reforestation Costs and Needs
- Cost per hectare: $500-1,500 average globally
- Total investment needed: $33 billion for US alone
- Seedlings required: 1.7 billion more annually (US)
- Planting density: 1,000-1,500 trees per hectare
- Survival rates: 50-90% depending on conditions
Progress by Region
- China: 338,000 km² planted (2013-2018)
- India: Target 26% forest cover by 2030
- Ethiopia: 4 billion trees in 2019
- Pakistan: 10 billion trees by 2023
- EU: 3 billion trees by 2030
Data Sources and References
Methodology and Data Collection
Reforestation data is compiled from national reporting to initiatives like the Bonn Challenge, satellite monitoring of forest cover change, and project-level reporting from restoration organizations worldwide.
The counter estimates replanted hectares based on reported restoration commitments and implementation rates, though actual achievement often lags behind pledges due to funding, technical, and survival challenges.