• Brazil tops the list with more forest loss due to climate change, followed by Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Climate change is wreaking havoc across Russia and Canada—two places outside the tropics—rendering the forests' capacity to regenerate almost dysfunctional.
• Though Bolivia lost a significant amount of forest land, it is doing its best to recover the forest canopy.

In 2024, the world lost huge tracts of forest cover due to climate change-induced wildfires, according to newly published data.

Data from the University of Maryland and the World Resources Institute (WRI) paint a grim picture, showing that 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest were lost last year—twice the amount lost in 2023. This is eerily similar to 18 football fields disappearing every 18 minutes.

For the first time, fires are surpassing agriculture in clearing forest areas, causing nearly 50% of the destruction.

Among the countries affected, Brazil—which will host COP30 later this year—tops the list, having lost the most tropical forest in 2024, accounting for 42% of the global total. This is largely due to the worst drought experienced in the South American nation, which triggered large fires that spiralled out of control.

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Although Brazil has improved while President Lula is in the saddle, experts say that fires, agricultural activities, and weak enforcement could dampen all efforts made so far.

In the meantime, Bolivia—the second country on the list—experienced a 200% surge in forest loss, mainly caused by fires. This sharp increase took a heavy toll on forest cover despite Bolivia having less forest area than other large countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also logged a 150% spike in forest damage.

Very far from the tropics, Russia and Canada have also seen an increase in fires. Even though these boreal forests are adapted to fires, climate change is making them more intense and longer-lasting, as well as reducing the forests' capacity to regenerate. So, taking everything into account, the world lost a further 30 million hectares of tree cover in 2024, an area similar to the size of Italy.

However, positive developments are being reported from some quarters. For instance, in Indonesia, fire prevention efforts and land restoration policies have led to an 11% drop in forest loss. Malaysia, another country from the global south, also saw a 13% decline in forest loss, slipping out of the top 10 countries with the highest forest destruction. Their success can largely be attributed to strong policies and local efforts.

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Globally, countries have promised to stop deforestation by 2030, but this pledge seems few and far between. Of the 20 countries with the largest areas of tropical forest, 17 are losing more forest cover now than when they made the pledge in 2021.

Experts say that countries need stronger fire prevention and land use laws, as well as more funding for forest protection through Indigenous-led initiatives. Surprisingly, Bolivia stands out through its Charagua Lyambae protected area, which kept fires at bay in 2024 using early warning systems and strengthened land use rules.

Even though some countries are doing well in their forest-protecting measures, more needs to be done to protect our natural, precious and sacred forests and to reverse this trend, concludes the study.

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Source: euronews