Dar es Salaam, Sept. 29 -- FORESTS in Tanzania, particularly on the Mainland, play a vital role in sustaining life and driving development. They not only support environmental conservation and climate stability but also underpin key sectors of the economy such as agriculture and food security, energy, livestock, fisheries, wildlife, water, tourism, health and education.

Yet, despite their immense contribution, the value of forest and woodland resources has been underestimated for decades.

The official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) only account for what is traded—timber and other wood products—completely ignoring the critical, non-monetary services our forests provide. These non-traded services—...