It includes areas established to protect wildlife, special ecosystems, soil and water resources, etc. It is understood that the higher the percentage of the indicator, the better the performance of the country in protecting and conserving its forest resources.
Forests serve multiple ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural roles in many countries.
They are among the most diverse and widespread ecosystems of the world. They support employment and traditional uses, and biodiversity. There is general concern over human impact on forest health, and the natural processes of forest growth and regeneration. Combating deforestation to preserve soils, water, air and biological diversity is explicitly considered in Agenda 21. This indicator measures societal response to protect biodiversity and landscapes through the creation of representative reserves of various forest ecosystems.