A joint investigation by Filipino news outlet Davao Today, Singapore-based data agency Thibi, and Dutch newsroom Lighthouse Reports has published a visual showing how the Philippines’ National Greening Program—the country’s biggest reforestation effort—fell short. The full waffle grid represents forest lost between 1934 and 1988. The colored squares together represent the more than 2 million hectares the government claimed to have reforested through the program. But using satellite images of over planting sites, government data on land use and spending, and whistleblower accounts, the visualization shows a different story: yellow squares are areas that were cleared again; light green shows land planted with foreign tree species that often grow fast but harm soil, water, and biodiversity; and red marks sites unlikely to grow lasting forests or support local livelihoods. Only the dark green squares—just 1 in 50—show land that was actually reforested with native trees that can restore ecosystems and help communities over the long term.
Analyzing Reforestation Initiatives in the Philippines
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