The Planet Is Burning — But Proven Solutions Are Within Reach

Forbes

3 days ago

In 2024, the world lost 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary rainforest, the highest level of loss in at least two decades. That's nearly double the destruction recorded in 2023. Fires were the main culprit, fueled by record heat, prolonged drought, and a failure to enforce environmental protections. But, amid the devastation, there is a powerful truth that is too often overlooked: we already know how to stop this.
New data from the University of Maryland's GLAD lab, published by Global Forest Watch, shows that the tropics lost forest at a blistering pace of 18 football fields per minute in 2024. The 3.1 gigatons of carbon released into the atmosphere from this single year of forest destruction was greater than India's entire annual fossil fuel emissions. The world's primary rainforests, vital for regulating climate, storing carbon, and preserving biodiversity, are disappearing before our eyes.
In Cambodia, where Wildlife Alliance has worked for more than two decades, we have helped protect over 1.4 million hectares of rainforest in the Cardamom Mountains, one of Southeast Asia's last intact forest ecosystems. This isn't symbolic protection; tangible, measurable, boots-on-the-ground conservation has kept the forest standing. Independent evaluations have shown that Wildlife Alliance's direct protection model is among the most effective in Southeast Asia at preventing deforestation in real-time. By integrating satellite surveillance, ranger deployment, and community incentives, we have created a replicable approach that can be adapted for other threatened forests around the world. Our approach combines law enforcement, technology, and community engagement through direct partnerships with the Cambodian government, Indigenous communities, and local authorities. We fund and manage ranger patrols, build capacity for rapid enforcement, and use satellite data to detect threats before they escalate.
The result? In the areas we patrol and manage, satellite data shows forest clearance has fallen to near zero.
We are not alone. In 2024, Indonesia and Malaysia reduced their primary forest loss. Their success was also no accident. It was the product of consistent government policies, corporate accountability, and better fire prevention. In southern Bolivia, the Charagua Iyambae Indigenous Territory showed what's possible when early warning systems and community land governance are taken seriously. Despite the flames raging across Latin America, this area stayed intact thanks to foresight, training, and local leadership.
Yet such examples remain the exception, not the rule.
Smoke from wildfires blankets forests south of the Orinoco River, Venezuela (March 26, 2024)
Alarmingly, Global Forest Watch reports that the 2024 fire season devastated forests across Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, and Mexico, much of it tied to agricultural expansion, mining, and weak governance. Bolivia saw a 200% increase in forest loss. Brazil alone accounted for 42% of all tropical forest destruction, with illegal soy and cattle farming driving deforestation deep into the Amazon. In Central America, forest fires burned through protected areas and Indigenous lands, often with ties to organized crime.
In Africa's Congo Basin, the world's second-largest rainforest, forest loss also reached record highs, driven by charcoal production, smallholder agriculture, and land pressures made worse by violent conflict. These are complex challenges. But complexity is not an excuse for inaction.
Too often, international climate finance goes to ideas still being tested or to 'capacity building' projects with little real-world enforcement impact. Meanwhile, field-tested models like ours, which deliver verifiable results, struggle to scale due to a lack of funding. The gap between rhetoric and reality is growing wider every year.
If we are serious about halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 — a promise made by over 140 countries in the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration — we must act differently.
First, we need more vigorous enforcement. Whether through national ranger programs or Indigenous-led patrols, the world must invest in proper protection on the ground. This includes satellite monitoring, rapid-response teams, and legal action against illegal deforestation.
Second, we must scale what works. Proven conservation models — as in Cambodia, Bolivia's Indigenous territories, and parts of Indonesia — need finance to expand. These efforts must be rewarded based on verified results, not good intentions.
Third, the global community must confront the reality that commodity production and deforestation remain tightly linked. Cattle, soy, palm oil, and mining continue to push deeper into tropical forests. Voluntary commitments are not enough; market countries must enforce laws like the EU Deforestation Regulation and ensure companies are not profiting from environmental destruction.
Fourth, Indigenous communities must be empowered and financed as frontline protectors of the world's forests. They are already doing this work, often without support or recognition. The world must back them, not just with words, but with resources, legal protection, and land rights.
And finally, forest protection must be treated as a frontline climate solution. Forests are carbon sinks, natural air conditioners, and buffers against extreme weather. Letting them burn undermines every other climate goal.
The forest loss in 2024 should be a turning point, shaking us out of complacency. But we've seen data like this before and still the money, policies, and enforcement needed to turn the tide remain insufficient.
Wildlife Alliance stands ready to help scale what works. We don't need another conference or another set of promises. We need action grounded in science, delivered in partnership, and driven by urgency.
The forests are burning. We have the tools to stop it. The question is not whether we know what to do but whether we will do it.