Latest news with #forestloss
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
‘Global red alert': Wildfires drive record forest loss in 2024, alarming data reveals
Global forest loss surged to record levels in 2024, with wildfires destroying 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest – nearly double the previous year's – according to new satellite data. For the first time, fires, not agriculture, were the leading driver of tropical forest loss, according to data released by Global Forest Watch, as experts called it a 'global red alert'. The new figures, based on analysis by the University of Maryland 's GLAD Lab and published on the World Resources Institute 's Global Forest Watch platform, reveal the devastating toll of fire-fuelled deforestation on both the climate and vulnerable communities around the world. 'This level of forest loss is unlike anything we've seen in over 20 years of data,' said Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of Global Forest Watch. 'It's a global red alert – a collective call to action for every country, every business and every person who cares about a liveable planet. Our economies, our communities, our health – none of it can survive without forests.' The loss of tropical primary forests – vital ecosystems that store carbon and support biodiversity – amounted to an area nearly the size of Panama vanishing at a rate of 18 football fields per minute. Globally, fires emitted 4.1 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases, more than four times the emissions from all commercial air travel in 2023. It's a global red alert – a collective call to action for every country, every business and every person who cares about a liveable planet. Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of Global Forest Watch While wildfires are common in boreal regions, fire has historically been a secondary cause of tropical deforestation. In 2024, however, fires accounted for nearly half of all tropical primary forest loss – up from 20 per cent in previous years. The report attributes the shift to a combination of human activity, rising land pressure and extreme heat, worsened by El Niño and the continued impacts of the climate crisis. '2024 was the worst year on record for fire-driven forest loss, breaking the record set just last year,' said Peter Potapov, research professor at the University of Maryland and co-director of the GLAD Lab. 'If this trend continues, it could permanently transform critical natural areas and unleash large amounts of carbon, intensifying climate crisis and fuelling even more extreme fires.' Brazil accounted for 42 per cent of all tropical primary forest loss in 2024. In the Amazon, tree cover loss was the highest since 2016, while the Pantanal saw its worst year on record. Fires, made worse by Brazil's most severe drought to date, were responsible for two-thirds of the loss in the country – a more than sixfold increase from 2023. 'Brazil has made progress under President Lula (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva), but the threat to forests remains,' said Mariana Oliveira, director of the Forests and Land Use Program at WRI Brasil. 'Without sustained investment in community fire prevention, stronger state-level enforcement and a focus on sustainable land use, hard-won gains risk being undone. As Brazil prepares to host Cop30 [climate summit], it has a powerful opportunity to put forest protection front and centre on the global stage.' Bolivia saw the second-highest forest loss in the tropics, overtaking the Democratic Republic of Congo for the first time. Primary forest loss there jumped by 200 per cent in 2024 to 1.5 million hectares, more than half of it driven by fires. 'The fires that tore through Bolivia in 2024 left deep scars – not only on the land but on the people who depend on it,' said Stasiek Czaplicki Cabezas, a Bolivian researcher and data journalist for Revista Nómadas. 'The damage could take centuries to undo.' Colombia, meanwhile, experienced a nearly 50 per cent increase in forest loss, though largely from illegal mining and coca cultivation rather than fire. 'We need to keep supporting local, nature-based economies – especially in remote areas – and invest in solutions that protect the environment, create jobs and foster peace,' said Joaquin Carrizosa, senior advisor at WRI Colombia. Forest loss also spiked across Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. In the ROC, fire-related loss rose to 45 per cent, driven by drought and unseasonably hot conditions. In the DRC, longstanding poverty and conflict continue to fuel deforestation. 'There's no silver bullet,' said Teodyl Nkuintchua, WRI Africa's Congo Basin strategy and engagement lead. 'But we won't change the current trajectory until people across the Congo Basin are fully empowered to lead conservation efforts that also support their rural economies.' Dr Matt Hansen, co-director of the GLAD Lab, warned: 'We're seeing unprecedented forest loss from fire in the few remaining 'High Forest, Low Deforestation' countries, like the Republic of Congo. This new dynamic is outside of current policy frameworks or intervention capabilities and will severely test our ability to maintain intact forests within a warming climate.' Amid the devastation, the report highlighted progress in parts of Southeast Asia. Indonesia reduced primary forest loss by 11 per cent, helped by long-standing efforts to restore degraded land and control fires. Malaysia saw a 13 per cent decline and dropped out of the top 10 for tropical forest loss for the first time. 'We're proud that Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world to reduce primary forest loss,' said Arief Wijaya, managing director at WRI Indonesia. 'But deforestation remains a concern due to plantations, small-scale farming and mining – even within protected areas.' The year also saw intense fire seasons in boreal forests, with Canada and Russia contributing to a 5 per cent rise in total tree cover loss globally – 30 million hectares in total, an area roughly the size of Italy. To meet the goal of halting forest loss by 2030, the world needs to cut deforestation by 20 per cent each year starting now. But in 2024, tropical forest loss increased by 80 per cent. 'Countries have repeatedly pledged to halt deforestation and forest degradation,' said Kelly Levin, chief of science, data and systems change at the Bezos Earth Fund. 'Yet the data reveal a stark gap between promises made and progress delivered.' Rod Taylor, director of forests and nature conservation at WRI, added: 'Forest fires and land clearing are driving up emissions, while the climate is already changing faster than forests can adapt. This crisis is pushing countless species to the brink and forcing Indigenous Peoples and local communities from their ancestral lands.' The report says that the path forward requires stronger fire prevention, deforestation-free supply chains, support for Indigenous land stewardship and greater political will, especially from countries that made bold commitments at climate summits, but are failing to follow through.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
Fires in the Amazon drive record-shattering global forest losses in 2024
Massive fires fuelled by climate change led global forest loss to smash records in 2024, according to a report issued on Wednesday. Loss of tropical pristine forests alone reached 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres), an area roughly the size of Panama, marking an 80 per cent spike compared to 2023. One of the central drivers of these staggering numbers was Brazil, the host of the next global climate summit in November, struggling to contain fires in the Amazon amid the worst drought ever recorded in the rainforest. According to the data, issued by the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland, the rate of tropical primary forest loss in 2024 was the equivalent of losing 18 soccer fields of trees per minute. Canada and Bolivia, along with myriad other countries, were also on the list of those ravaged by wildfires, with both tropical and boreal forests seeing huge impacts from fires. It was the first time the annual report showed fires as the leading cause of tropical forest loss, a grim milestone for a naturally humid ecosystem that is not supposed to burn. "The signals in these data are particularly frightening," said Matthew Hansen, the co-director of a lab at the University of Maryland that compiled and analyzed the data. "The fear is that the climate signal is going to overtake our ability to respond effectively." Globally, researchers estimated that more than 4.1 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases were released due to forest fires last year — more than four times the emissions released from air travel in 2023. Bolivia overtook the Democratic Republic of Congo as the second country with the most tropical forest loss despite having less than half the amount of forest as the African nation, which also saw a spike in forest loss last year. Bolivia's forest loss surged by 200 per cent in 2024, with a drought, wildfires and a government-incentivized agricultural expansion as the leading causes. In regions full of tropical forests, fire is used to clear lands for agricultural expansion, sometimes cutting into protected areas or causing illegal deforestation. One region in southern Bolivia bucked the trend of forest loss: Charagua Iyambae, a protected, autonomous Indigenous territory, which was able to keep the country's record fires at bay through land-use policies and early warning systems. The Charagua Iyambae region includes five million hectares of forest, and recent protection laws have strengthened the Guaraní Indigenous people's management of the lands, allowing them to better resist agricultural expansion. Southeast Asia also saw glimmers of hope, with Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia all posting double-digit decreases in primary forest loss — something the report credits to domestic conservation policy, combined with efforts by communities and the private sector, effectively containing fires and agricultural expansion. Countries hit hard by fires Latin America was hit particularly hard, the report said, with the Amazon biome hitting its highest level of primary forest loss since 2016. Brazil, which holds the largest share of the world's tropical forests, lost 2.8 million hectares (6.9 million acres), the most of any country. It was a reversal of the progress made in 2023 when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office promising to protect the world's largest rainforest. "This was unprecedented, which means we have to adapt all our policy to a new reality," said Andre Lima, who oversees deforestation control policies for Brazil's Ministry of Environment, adding that fire, which was never among the leading causes of forest loss, is now a top priority for the government. Increased forest loss in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, and Guatemala was spurred largely by wildfires and fires started for agricultural expansion, the report found. Conflicts in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo also boosted deforestation rates, as armed groups used up natural resources. 5.2 million hectares in Canada Outside the tropics, boreal forests, which evolved with seasonal fires, also posted record-high tree loss in 2024, the data showed, with Canada and Russia each losing 5.2 million hectares (12.8 million acres) in 2024 as wildfires got out of control. It's part of a dismal trend for Canada. Data from the World Resources Institute published last year found that Canada's devastating 2023 wildfire season accounted for more than half of that year's global forest loss due to fire. WATCH | Fires in Canada drove forest loss in 2023: Wildfires in Canada blamed for increase in global tree loss 1 year ago Duration 2:00 More than half of all the forest lost to fire last year was in Canada thanks to an unprecedented wildfire season, according to an annual survey published by the World Resources Institute. In 2021, more than 140 world leaders, including Canada, signed the Glasgow Leaders Declaration reaffirming a promise to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. But this new data suggests the global community is far off track in achieving that goal. Rod Taylor, the global director for forests at the WRI, said that as leaders descend on the Amazonian city of Belem for the next climate summit, he would like to see countries make progress in introducing better funding mechanisms for conservation. "At the moment," he said, "there's more money to be paid by chopping forests down than keeping them standing."
Asharq Al-Awsat
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Report: Amazon Fires Drive Unprecedented Global Forest Loss in 2024
Massive fires fueled by climate change led global forest loss to smash records in 2024, according to a report issued on Wednesday. Loss of tropical pristine forests alone reached 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres), an 80% spike compared to 2023 and an area roughly the size of Panama, mainly because Brazil, the host of the next global climate summit in November, struggled to contain fires in the Amazon amid the worst drought ever recorded in the rainforest. A myriad of other countries, including Bolivia and Canada, were also ravaged by wildfires. It was the first time the annual report, issued by the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland, showed fires as the leading cause of tropical forest loss, a grim milestone for a naturally humid ecosystem that is not supposed to burn, Reuters reported. "The signals in these data are particularly frightening," said Matthew Hansen, the co-director of a lab at the University of Maryland that compiled and analyzed the data. "The fear is that the climate signal is going to overtake our ability to respond effectively." Latin America was hit particularly hard, the report said, with the Amazon biome hitting its highest level of primary forest loss since 2016. Brazil, which holds the largest share of the world's tropical forests, lost 2.8 million hectares (6.9 million acres), the most of any country. It was a reversal of the progress made in 2023 when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office promising to protect the world's largest rainforest. 'This was unprecedented, which means we have to adapt all our policy to a new reality,' said Andre Lima, who oversees deforestation control policies for Brazil's Ministry of Environment, adding that fire, which was never among the leading causes of forest loss, is now a top priority for the government. Bolivia overtook the Democratic Republic of Congo as the second country with the most tropical forest loss despite having less than half the amount of forest as the African nation, which also saw a spike in forest loss last year. Bolivia's forest loss surged by 200% in 2024, with a drought, wildfires and a government-incentivized agricultural expansion as the leading causes. Across Latin America, the report noted similar trends in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Conflicts in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo also boosted deforestation rates, as armed groups used up natural resources. Outside the tropics, boreal forests, which evolved with seasonal fires, also posted record-high tree loss in 2024, with Canada and Russia each losing 5.2 million hectares (12.8 million acres) in 2024 as wildfires got out of control. Southeast Asia bucked the global trend with Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia all posting double-digit decreases in primary forest loss, as domestic conservation policy, combined with efforts by communities and the private sector, continued to effectively contain fires and agricultural expansion. Another outlier was the Charagua Iyambae Indigenous territory in southern Bolivia, which was able to keep the country's record fires at bay through land-use policies and early warning systems. Rod Taylor, the global director for forests at the WRI, said that as leaders descend on the Amazonian city of Belem for the next climate summit, he would like to see countries make progress in introducing better funding mechanisms for conservation. "At the moment," he said, "there's more money to be paid by chopping forests down than keeping them standing."
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Amazon fires drive unprecedented global forest loss in 2024
By Manuela Andreoni and Alexander Villegas for Reuters Almost 7 million hectares of tropical pristine forests was lost in 2024, with Brazil unable to contain fires in the Amazon. File photo. Photo: AFP / GUSTAVO BASSO Massive fires fueled by climate change led global forest loss to smash records in 2024, according to a new report. Loss of tropical pristine forests alone reached 6.7 million hectares, an 80 percent spike compared to 2023 and an area roughly the size of Panama, mainly because Brazil, the host of the next global climate summit in November, struggled to contain fires in the Amazon amid the worst drought ever recorded in the rainforest. A myriad of other countries, including Bolivia and Canada, were also ravaged by wildfires. It was the first time the annual report - issued by the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland - showed fires as the leading cause of tropical forest loss, a grim milestone for a naturally humid ecosystem that is not supposed to burn. "The signals in these data are particularly frightening," said Matthew Hansen, the co-director of a lab at the University of Maryland that compiled and analyzed the data. "The fear is that the climate signal is going to overtake our ability to respond effectively." Latin America was hit particularly hard, the report said, with the Amazon biome hitting its highest level of primary forest loss since 2016. Brazil, which holds the largest share of the world's tropical forests, lost 2.8 million hectares, the most of any country. It was a reversal of the progress made in 2023 when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office promising to protect the world's largest rainforest. "This was unprecedented, which means we have to adapt all our policy to a new reality," said Andre Lima, who oversees deforestation control policies for Brazil's Ministry of Environment, adding that fire, which was never among the leading causes of forest loss, is now a top priority for the government. Bolivia overtook the Democratic Republic of Congo as the second country with the most tropical forest loss despite having less than half the amount of forest as the African nation, which also saw a spike in forest loss last year. Bolivia's forest loss surged by 200 percent in 2024, with a drought, wildfires and a government-incentivized agricultural expansion as the leading causes. Across Latin America, the report noted similar trends in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Conflicts in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo also boosted deforestation rates, as armed groups used up natural resources. Outside the tropics, boreal forests, which evolved with seasonal fires, also posted record-high tree loss in 2024, with Canada and Russia each losing 5.2 million hectares in 2024 as wildfires got out of control. Southeast Asia bucked the global trend with Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia all posting double-digit decreases in primary forest loss, as domestic conservation policy, combined with efforts by communities and the private sector, continued to effectively contain fires and agricultural expansion. Another outlier was the Charagua Iyambae Indigenous territory in southern Bolivia, which was able to keep the country's record fires at bay through land-use policies and early warning systems. Rod Taylor, the global director for forests at the WRI, said that as leaders descend on the Amazonian city of Belem for the next climate summit, he would like to see countries make progress in introducing better funding mechanisms for conservation. "At the moment," he said, "there's more money to be paid by chopping forests down than keeping them standing." - Reuters
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Amazon fires drive unprecedented global forest loss in 2024, report says
SAO PAULO, May 21 (Reuters) - Massive fires fueled by climate change led global forest loss to smash records in 2024, according to a report issued on Wednesday. Loss of tropical pristine forests alone reached 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres), an 80% spike compared to 2023 and an area roughly the size of Panama, mainly because Brazil, the host of the next global climate summit in November, struggled to contain fires in the Amazon amid the worst drought ever recorded in the rainforest. A myriad of other countries, including Bolivia and Canada, were also ravaged by wildfires. It was the first time the annual report, opens new tab, issued by the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland, showed fires as the leading cause of tropical forest loss, a grim milestone for a naturally humid ecosystem that is not supposed to burn. "The signals in these data are particularly frightening," said Matthew Hansen, the co-director of a lab at the University of Maryland that compiled and analyzed the data. "The fear is that the climate signal is going to overtake our ability to respond effectively." Latin America was hit particularly hard, the report said, with the Amazon biome hitting its highest level of primary forest loss since 2016. Brazil, which holds the largest share of the world's tropical forests, lost 2.8 million hectares (6.9 million acres), the most of any country. It was a reversal of the progress made in 2023 when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office promising to protect the world's largest rainforest. 'This was unprecedented, which means we have to adapt all our policy to a new reality,' said Andre Lima, who oversees deforestation control policies for Brazil's Ministry of Environment, adding that fire, which was never among the leading causes of forest loss, is now a top priority for the government. Bolivia overtook the Democratic Republic of Congo as the second country with the most tropical forest loss despite having less than half the amount of forest as the African nation, which also saw a spike in forest loss last year. Bolivia's forest loss surged by 200% in 2024, with a drought, wildfires and a government-incentivized agricultural expansion as the leading causes. Across Latin America, the report noted similar trends in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Conflicts in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo also boosted deforestation rates, as armed groups used up natural resources. Outside the tropics, boreal forests, which evolved with seasonal fires, also posted record-high tree loss in 2024, with Canada and Russia each losing 5.2 million hectares (12.8 million acres) in 2024 as wildfires got out of control. Southeast Asia bucked the global trend with Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia all posting double-digit decreases in primary forest loss, as domestic conservation policy, combined with efforts by communities and the private sector, continued to effectively contain fires and agricultural expansion. Another outlier was the Charagua Iyambae Indigenous territory in southern Bolivia, which was able to keep the country's record fires at bay through land-use policies and early warning systems. Rod Taylor, the global director for forests at the WRI, said that as leaders descend on the Amazonian city of Belem for the next climate summit, he would like to see countries make progress in introducing better funding mechanisms for conservation. "At the moment," he said, "there's more money to be paid by chopping forests down than keeping them standing."
