The Rio Conventions: Action on Forests

Forests cover approximately 30 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and provide important ecosystem goods and services, including food, fodder, water, shelter, nutrient cycling, air purification, and cultural and recreational amenities. Forests also store carbon, provide habitat for a wide range of species and help alleviate land degradation and desertification. All three of the Rio conventions, the convention on Biological Diversity (cBD), the United nations convention to combat Desertification (UnccD) and the United nations Framework convention on climate change (UnFccc), acknowledge the important contribution of forests to the achievement of their respective goals and objectives.this information brochure provides a snapshot of the synergies and linkages with respect to forests between combating climate change and desertification and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.