Massive wildfires, worsened by climate change and extreme droughts, led to an unprecedented 6.7 million hectares of tropical forest loss in 2024, according to a report by the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland. Fires, for the first time, became the leading cause of forest destruction, with Brazil’s Amazon hit hardest.
BulletsIn
- 2024 saw 6.7 million hectares of tropical forest lost — up 80% from 2023
- Brazil lost 2.8 million ha, the most globally, due to Amazon wildfires and severe drought
- Fires were the top cause of tropical forest loss for the first time
- Bolivia saw a 200% spike in forest loss, overtaking DRC despite smaller forest area
- Colombia and DRC reported increased loss due to armed conflicts and resource use
- Canada and Russia each lost 5.2 million ha in boreal forests due to extreme wildfires
- Southeast Asia saw improvement: Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos posted declines
- Bolivia’s Charagua Iyambae Indigenous territory resisted fires via early warning systems
- Climate experts warn current deforestation outpaces mitigation capacity
- WRI urges climate summit in Brazil’s Belem to focus on funding forest conservation




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