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BACKGROUND:
Recent research shows that 94% of the world's remaining forests are unprotected. Worldwide, more than
half of the world's forests have already been lost. Deforestation was most severe in Europe and North
America, but in recent decades the rate of deforestation in Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific has
massively increased. Details of threats to the world's forests can be found in the WWF/IUCN Forest
Policy Book.
When forest is lost, so is much of its biological wealth. As 90 per cent of the world's species are
found in forested areas, loss of forest has a serious impact on the world's ecology.
WWF is campaigning to ensure that an ecologically representative network of protected areas, covering
a minimum of 10 per cent of the world's forests is established by the year 2000, demonstrating a range
of ecologically and socially appropriate models.
Current Status
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