as fao also estimates deforestation accounted for a loss of forest cover of approximately million hectares per year between and a loss that could not be compensated by the million hectares recovered during the same period from the natural expansion of forests and forest plantations local human activities that are being undertaken in and near forests mostly unsustainable logging conversion of forests to agricultural land conversion of coastal mangrove forests for aquaculture mining infrastructure creation and the expansion of human settlements as well as forest fires further accelerate deforestation and degradation forest degradation lowers the capacity of forests to provide the community with the livelihood resources needed to withstand and recover from disasters