The latest breakdown, illustrated by The World in Maps, shows forested land ranging from less than 5% in some states to nearly 90% in others, casting light on the country’s environmental strengths, vulnerabilities, and responsibilities.

According to data from the U.S. Forest Service, states in the Southeast and Northeast top the charts. Maine leads the country with approximately 89% forest coverage, followed closely by New Hampshire at 79% and West Virginia at 79%. These densely forested states act as vital carbon sinks, absorbing millions of tons of CO₂ every year.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Great Plains states such as North Dakota (2%), South Dakota (3%), and Nebraska (3%) have the lowest forest coverage in the nation. These areas are dominated by vast grasslands and agricultural regions, which play important ecological roles of their own, but absorb far less carbon than forest-heavy regions.

The Western U.S. presents a mixed picture. California has 33% forest coverage, though the state continues to battle massive wildfire seasons that have reduced forest density and threatened biodiversity.

Oregon (49%) and Washington (53%) remain among the most forested states, but both have experienced increasingly destructive fires driven by extreme heat and prolonged drought. The National Interagency Fire Centre reports that wildfire seasons are lasting longer and burning more acreage than ever before.

These patterns come into sharper focus amid urgent global discussions about climate resilience. Just this year, the United Nations called for accelerated reforestation efforts worldwide in response to rising temperatures and more frequent natural disasters.

The UN Environment Programme warns that deforestation worldwide accounts for nearly 11% of carbon emissions, making forest preservation and restoration an essential part of the climate fight.

In the U.S., forests contribute far more than scenic beauty. They support wildlife habitats, provide clean air, protect watersheds, and fuel rural economies. States with higher forest coverage, such as Georgia (67%) and Alabama (71%), rely heavily on sustainable timber industries. Meanwhile, states with lower coverage are exploring prairie conservation and agricultural sustainability to balance environmental needs.

The Nile, which stretches an extraordinary 6,650 km, remains not only the longest river in Africa but one of the longest on Earth. It threads through 11 countries, from Burundi and Uganda to Sudan and Egypt, forming the backbone of agriculture and life along its banks.

Nearly 300 million people depend directly on the Nile Basin for survival.

Flowing west to east, the Niger River, at 4,200 km, is the lifeline of West Africa, curving through Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria before emptying into the Gulf of Guinea.

It supports millions of farmers and fishers and anchors some of the region’s largest urban centres. The Niger Basin Authority notes that the river sustains over 160 million people in nine countries.

In Central Africa, the Congo River runs 4,700 km, carving through one of the world’s largest rainforest ecosystems. It carries more water than any river in Africa and is second only to the Amazon globally.

The Congo Basin is home to over 80 million people and provides critical carbon storage for the planet, a fact repeatedly emphasised in global climate discussions.

To the south, the Zambezi River, which spans 2,600 km, crosses Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is the river behind Victoria Falls and fuels major hydroelectric projects such as the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, which power much of southern Africa.

Despite the continent's numerous water resources, the Horn of Africa continues to experience climate-driven droughts alternating with destructive floods, which amplify tensions over Nile water rights.

Hydropolitics, the politics of water, is increasingly shaping diplomatic relations. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), for instance, remains a focal point of negotiation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

For centuries, the Dutch have reclaimed land from the sea using polders (enclosed tracts of drained land) and a complex network of dikes, canals, and pumping stations. The country’s lowest point, the Zuidplaspolder, sits about 6.76 meters below sea level.

Today, roughly 9 million people, more than half the population, live in areas that would flood without active water management.

The entire system is maintained by the “Delta Works,” a world-renowned flood defence network built after the devastating 1953 North Sea Flood that killed more than 1,800 people.

According to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute ( KNMI ), sea levels along the Dutch coast are rising about 3 to 4 millimetres per year, roughly double the global average.

Land subsidence adds to the threat as parts of the west are sinking as peat soils dry and compact. The government ’s Delta Programme 2025 warns that even a 1-meter sea-level rise could overwhelm existing defences by 2100, forcing massive infrastructure upgrades and potentially displacing thousands of residents.

Utrecht University researchers caution that a rise of 2 to 5 metres, which could occur in worst-case global warming scenarios, would make large parts of the Netherlands “unlivable” without dramatic adaptation.

The Netherlands’ situation is not isolated. From Venice to Bangladesh, low-lying regions face similar risks from sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Yet few countries have done as much as the Dutch to prepare.

Still, climate activists warn that even Dutch innovation has limits. Last week, artists installed red figures in Amsterdam’s canals to protest inaction on the climate crisis ahead of COP30 in Brazil, noting that “one-third of the Netherlands already lies below sea level.”