Last year witnessed a slight slowdown in the global loss of primary tropical forests, yet the goal of halting deforestation by 2030 remains significantly out of reach. This recent analysis of satellite data underscores the imperative of enhancing tropical forest conservation efforts to sustain biodiversity and mitigate climate change.
The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil is burning. Photo Source: Ricardo Funari/Brazil Photos/LightRocket via Getty
According to Nature, research conducted by the World Resources Institute (WRI) based in Washington, D.C., and researchers from the University of Maryland in the United States revealed that tropical regions lost 3.7 million hectares of primary forest in 2023.
Mikaela Weisse, Director of Global Forest Watch at WRI, stated during a press conference, "To avoid carbon emissions and the loss of biodiversity, protecting tropical primary forests, representing one of the most important ecosystems, is crucial."
Analyzing satellite data on forest cover, Weisse and colleagues found that the loss of tropical primary forests decreased by 9% compared to 2022.
This reduction is mainly attributed to shifts in leadership in Brazil and Colombia, where the loss of primary forests decreased by 36% and 49%, respectively. However, researchers found that this progress was largely offset by increased loss of tropical primary forests in countries such as Bolivia, Laos, Nicaragua, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Globally, from 2022 to 2023, forest loss due to both natural and human causes increased by 24%, including both planted and natural forests. This global rise is entirely due to increased forest loss related to fires in Canada. Forest loss decreased by 4% in other parts of the world.
Researchers also found that by 2030, the world may not achieve the goal of halting and reversing forest loss caused by human activities or deforestation. Over 145 countries and regions reached this goal in 2021, accounting for 90% of the world's forests.
Dolors Armenteras, an ecologist at the National University of Colombia, said, "To get back on track, we need to reduce deforestation by at least 10% annually, but deforestation rates are still ongoing, indicating that we are far from this goal." She also emphasized that achieving this goal requires stronger political will to address deforestation, as well as greater international cooperation and more financial incentives to protect existing forests.
Weisse added, "We are running out of time, and we may be approaching a tipping point where tropical forests undergo irreversible changes. This will affect all of us, both regionally and globally."
