At climate talks, African nations pledge to restore forests

Tree by tree, more than a dozen African governments pledged to restore the continent's natural forests at the United Nations climate talks on Dec. 5.

The earth has lost more than half its forests over the course of human history, according to the World Resources Institute. The deforestation of the world's tropical forests has contributed to climate change by producing up to 15 percent of global carbon emissions, the organization said.

The AFR100 initiative is a pledge by African nations to restore 100 million hectares of forest by 2030, according to the organization.

"As the world forges a climate agreement in Paris, African countries - which bear the least historic responsibility for climate change - are showing leadership with ambitious pledges to restore land," said Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the World Resources Institute.

Wanjira Mathai, daughter of the late Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, described the AFR100 forest restoration project as unprecedented.

"I have seen restoration in communities both large and small across Africa, but the promise of a continent-wide movement is truly inspiring," said Mathai, chairwoman of the Green Belt Movement founded by her mother. "Restoring landscapes will empower and enrich rural communities while providing downstream benefits to those in cities. Everybody wins. "

During the Global Landscapes Forum at the U.N. climate talks, the World Bank and the German government and other partners, set aside more than $1 billion in development funding and $540 million in private funding for the African reforestation.

More than a dozen African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, have pledged millions of acres to the...