WILLAGRI
In 2024, fires caused a record loss of primary tropical forests, reaching levels not seen in two decades. This destruction, mainly due to fires and agricultural expansion, has had major environmental impacts, including massive greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and climate disruption. Urgent and comprehensive solutions are needed to reverse this trend by 2030. In 2024, the tropics lost 6.7 million hectares of primary tropical forest, mainly due to fires. Fires ravaged five times more primary tropical forests in 2024 than in 2023, generating 3.1 gigatonnes of CO2. Non-fire primary forest loss increased by 14% between 2023 and 2024, mainly to agriculture. Latin America was heavily affected, with significant losses in Brazil and Bolivia, reversing earlier progress. In Bolivia, the loss of primary forest increased by 200% in 2024, mainly in livestock and monocultures. Brazil has experienced its worst fire season in decades, with primary forest loss increasing by 110% in the Amazon. Primary forest loss has also increased in other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala. In Africa, primary forest loss has intensified in the Congo Basin, due to shifting agriculture and conflict. Indonesia and Malaysia have seen a decrease in primary forest loss thanks to conservation efforts. The fires also affected the boreal regions, with record losses in Canada and Russia. To reverse the trend, coordinated actions are needed: fire prevention, combating illegal deforestation, increased funding for conservation, and supporting local communities.
Source : World Resources Institute/Global Forest Review