IN A WAKE UP call for urgent action Seub Nakhasathien Foundation said in a Facebook post today (May 2) that Thailand’s forest loss soared to the highest level in a decade from 2023 to 2024 dwindling 317,819.20 rai from 2022 leading to 31.47% of the country’s total area now being forested, Amarin TV said.
In 2022 forests covered 102,135,974.96 rai or 31.57% of the country’s total area but this has decreased to 101,818,155.76 rai or 31.47%.
Unchanged forests total 101,627,819.86 rai while 190,335.90 rai became forested.
Regional forest cover is as follows:
– Central region: 12,263,466.16 rai or 21.55% of the regional area, a decrease of 171,143.04 rai from 2022;
– Northeast region: 15,608,130.07 rai or 14.89% of the regional area, a decrease of 87,575.79 rai from 2022;
– Eastern region: 4,703,353.52 rai or 21.82% of the regional area, a decrease of 7,874.77 rai from 2022;
– Western region: 20,033,806.37 rai or 58.86% of the regional area, a decrease of 49,667.70 rai from 2022;
– Southern region: 11,232,880.27 rai or 24.34% of the regional area, an increase of 8,395.32 rai from 2022;
– Northern region: 37,976,519.37 rai or 63.24% of the regional area, a decrease of 171,143.04 rai from 2022.
In tracking changes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) overlay analysis was used to study satellite images with this showing three formats, increased, decreased and unchanged forest areas.
Increase in forest cover occurred through natural expansion, planting trees for economic benefit, conservation or diversity.
Decrease occurred from converting forests to farmland, community area, for construction of buildings or forest fires that are becoming more severe.
The extreme heat from the start of 2023 is one of the reasons deciduous and other forests are suffering leaf loss which is a key obstacle in collecting information and verifying their condition.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Tree stumps after deforestation. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Deforestation in Thailand. Photo: Amarin TV
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