Forests cover about one third of the world's land surface. They help regulate the climate, maintain water supplies, and generate many products. Once the trees go, especially on hillsides, the land can erode leaving a barren waste, that cannot easily be replanted. The climate may change too. Only 2000 years ago, much of the Sahara was forest. Due to ravages of early farmers and the ramblings of goats, that was all destroyed. Only nomadic tribes can now inhabit the land, let alone plant crops.

Click for deforesting countries

The water for the hills that once had trees - often olives, conifers or silk, has been diverted for the towns and tourists. This makes the trees susceptible to drought and burning. Once they start dying, the hillsides soon become bare and so expensive to replant that they soon become wasteland.

At least 150 thousand square kilometres of rainforest - an area the size of New Zealand, are destroyed each year.

People in 22 countries no longer have enough trees to provide fuel. This makes life particularly hard for the women in these countries.