India, Oct. 1 -- Forests around the world are degrading faster than they are recovering with over 460 million hectares (mha) of forests standing degraded, a United Nations (UN) report has revealed.

The authors of The State of the World's Forests 2026: Restoring Forests and Landscapes - The Way Forward for a Sustainable Future, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), noted that forest degradation was driven mainly by climate change, population growth, urbanisation and infrastructure development.

Land use change, resource energy demand and people's reliance on these lands for livelihoods and well-being are other reasons these lands stand degraded.

The flagship report provides a comprehensive global assessment of land de...