India, Oct. 15 -- Summary Some 391 million hectares of tropical forests, crucial for 53 million people, are at high risk of deforestation.

These forests, vital for carbon storage and ecosystem services, face threats from agriculture and development.

Protecting them is essential for climate mitigation, water security and preventing significant economic losses.

Tropical forests comprising 391 million of the world's total 1.6 billion hectares forestland are at high risk of loss, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a new report. These forests sustain 53 million people.

In High-risk forests, high-value returns - Co-benefits assessment for decision-makers, UNEP noted that one in every four people living near pantropical ...