Asia

BOREAL FOREST AT RISK

The boreal forest, an immense band of evergreens stretching across the Northern Hemisphere through Alaska, Canada and Russia, is one of the world’s largest zones of relatively intact forest. But rising fire risk and other climate problems are raising worries about the fate of this vital carbon storehouse.

FIGHTING THE DESERT

Trying to control flooding, drought and encroachment of the Gobi Desert, China plants huge numbers of trees every year. Not all survive, but the country’s forests are nonetheless becoming a significant carbon sponge.

Forest area by country