According to the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, India, China, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Turkey account for roughly 70% of the world's reported forest restoration area. Globally, 70 countries and territories covering 42% of the world's forests reported nearly 44 million hectares under restoration, representing 23% of the 190 million hectares pledged by reporting countries.
The 28th session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) took place from September 28 to October 2, 2026, in Rome, concurrent with the tenth World Forestry Week. According to the report, 1.56 billion hectares of land are degraded globally, including 460 million hectares of forestland. For the first time in FRA 2025, countries reported both their restoration commitments and progress.
The Gap Between Pledges and Reported Progress
Governments in 91 countries and territories, covering 69% of the world's forest area, have committed to more than 190 million hectares of forest restoration. Of these, 55 countries reported measurable results, while 36 countries with over 69 million hectares of pledged restoration reported no quantifiable progress. Major forest nations including Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States, which together account for around 35% of global forest area, reported no measurable progress for FRA 2025. The FAO noted that this gap between pledges and implementation can be partially explained by incomplete reporting, alongside actual differences in restoration pace.
India's Progress Report at COFO 28
India reaffirmed its Bonn Challenge target to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030, with 21.76 million hectares already under restoration. According to the Environment Ministry, India's forest and tree cover totals 82.74 million hectares, representing 25.17% of the country's land area. The FRA 2025 assessment ranked India ninth globally for forest area and third for net annual forest gain. Initiatives cited by the ministry include the Aravalli Green Wall covering approximately 6.45 million hectares, coastal mangrove restoration (MISHTI), and the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative, which has planted over 3.5 billion seedlings. India also called for effective and sustainable financing, particularly for developing countries, and requested greater FAO support in accessing climate, biodiversity, and blended finance.
In Comparison
China follows India in the FRA 2025 ranking with 7.9 million hectares, Ethiopia with 5 million hectares, Indonesia with 4.7 million hectares, and Turkey with 3.4 million hectares under restoration. These five countries together account for roughly 70% of globally reported restoration area. However, the FAO cautions that reported areas between countries are not directly comparable, as national reports vary in definition, timeframe, and scope. The Bonn Challenge, a global initiative launched by the IUCN and Germany's Federal Environment Ministry, sets a broader target: 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested land should be under restoration by 2030, compared to the 190 million hectares of forest restoration pledged by FRA 2025 reporting countries.
Multiple analyses urge caution with these figures. India's 82.74 million hectares of forest and tree cover differs from the FAO's pure forest calculation, as India's count includes tree cover outside forests. Additionally, restoration figures reflect area brought under restoration efforts, not how much becomes healthy forest, which depends on survival rates, species selection, and long-term management. Global degradation of forests continues to outpace recovery, according to UN reports on forest degradation.
India raised its Bonn Challenge commitment in 2019. In 2015, it initially pledged 13 million hectares by 2020, plus 8 million by 2030. At the 14th UN Convention to Combat Desertification conference in 2019, India increased its target to 26 million hectares, making it the largest single commitment under the initiative at that time. According to the Ministry of Environment, 21.76 million hectares are already under restoration as of September 2026. However, how much of this represents genuinely healthy, restored forest remains unclear from area figures alone, which reflect area brought under restoration efforts, not successful recovery.