Around the world, deforestation is on the rise , threatening wildlife and fueling the climate crisis. Forests must be restored. But how and where? A new study from Conservation International focuses on the ways nature can heal itself through a reforestation process known as “natural regeneration,” which allows trees to regrow on their own — an effective and far cheaper alternative to planting trees. For the first time, researchers have mapped out a global area spanning nearly 2.2 million square kilometers (830,000 square miles) — an expanse roughly the size of Greenland — where tropical forests have the greatest potential to grow back on their own. If restored, these forests could sequester 23 billion metric tons of carbon over 30 years, equivalent to nearly half the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. “Natural regeneration is one of our best strategies to quickly and effectively restore forests.…