The loss of tropical forests in Brazil and Colombia slowed dramatically last year, but fires and increased logging elsewhere have seriously counteracted this progress, euronews.com writes.
In 2023, the tropics lost 3,7 million hectares of primary forest – an area slightly smaller than Bhutan, or the equivalent of losing 10 football pitches per minute. That's about 9 percent less tropical tree cover lost than in 2022, according to an annual study by research organization World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland.
Global tree losses would have been much greater without improvements in Brazil and Colombia, where the analysis found that policy actions had a huge impact.
But that reduction still doesn't put the world on track to halt deforestation by 2030. There are just six years left until the 2030 deadline to halt forest loss set by 145 nations at COP26 in 2021.
The world has taken two steps forward, two steps back when it comes to forest loss in the past year," says Michaela Weisse, director of Global Forest Watch for WRI. "Precipitous declines in the Brazilian Amazon and Colombia show that progress is possible, but increasing forest loss in other areas largely counteracts that progress."
Weiss adds that we should learn from countries that are successfully slowing deforestation.
Why has deforestation slowed in Brazil and Colombia?
The report points to a change in political leadership as one of the main reasons for the significant reduction in forest loss in Brazil and Colombia. The new leaders in both countries emphasized environmental protection and forest conservation.
Under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil saw a 36 percent reduction in 2023, with primary forest loss reaching its lowest level since 2015. After his re-election, Lula reversed anti-environmental measures, recognized new indigenous territories and strengthened law enforcement of measures against practices such as illegal logging.
An even sharper improvement was seen in Colombia, where primary forest loss halved in 2023 under President Gustavo Petro Urrego compared to 2022.
There is no doubt that recent government actions and community engagement have had a profound impact on Colombia's forests," says Alejandra Laina, Natural Resources Manager at WRI Colombia. "The history of deforestation in Colombia is complex and deeply intertwined with the country's politics, making the historic reduction in 2023 particularly powerful."
Last year's survey results show that when forest protection is made a priority by world leaders, progress can be made.
Agriculture and fires are causing forest loss around the world
Fires account for just over half of all global forest loss in 2023. In tropical nations like Bolivia, they are often set by people to clear land for crops or grazing. Agriculture has been a major driver of deforestation in the country, with soy production accounting for nearly one million hectares of forest loss since the turn of the century.
Climate change also plays a role. In hot and dry conditions, fires started by humans can spread easily. Bolivia experienced record heat last year due to a combination of El Niño and global warming.
Widespread drought and increased temperatures caused by climate change have affected much of the world. In Canada, this led to the worst fire season on record, with five times as many trees lost in fires between 2022 and 2023.
"Satellite data helps us monitor the extent of wildfires over the years, including those leading to loss of tree cover," said Alexandra (Sasha) Tyukavina, associate research professor at the University of Maryland. "This is particularly important for understanding how extreme fire years – such as Canada's record wildfire season in 2023 – affect the world's forests over time."