According to a study published by the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland, catastrophic fires, which are made worse by climate change, have become the primary cause of the world’s record-breaking forest loss in 2024. Amazon fires triggered record global forest loss in 2024, making it a critical turning point in environmental history. The loss of tropical primary forests alone increased by 80% from 2023 to 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres), or an area approximately the size of Panama.

Latin America was hardest hit. Brazil, which possesses the most tropical forests worldwide, suffered the most significant loss of any nation, losing 2.8 million hectares (6.9 million acres). This was despite earlier successes in 2023 brought about by the conservation pledges made by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. One crucial factor was fires, which were stoked by the Amazon’s worst drought ever. The decline of primary forests in the Amazon biome was the most severe since 2016.

According to a representative of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, the amount of deforestation caused by fire was unprecedented and called for a complete change in policy. Since the humid tropics are not ecosystems inherently prone to fire, the results also represented a troubling milestone. According to a lead scientist from the University of Maryland, there is growing fear that climate signals may soon surpass our ability to respond.

Widespread Regional Impact from Fires and Human Activity

In 2024, Bolivia became the nation with the second-highest loss of tropical forests, surpassing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Due to drought, wildfires, and government-supported agricultural growth, forest destruction in Bolivia increased by 200%. Bolivia sustained more losses, even though its forest cover was less than half that of the Congo. Similar patterns were noted in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Peru.

Armed conflict made deforestation worse in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where militant groups cleared forests for resources.

Despite record fires nationwide, the Charagua Iyambae Indigenous area in southern Bolivia was a notable success story, preserving its forest via sustainable land-use practices and early warning systems.

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Forest Loss Beyond the Tropics and Global Responses

Boreal forests outside of tropical regions also experienced record-breaking losses. Russia and Canada lost 5.2 million hectares (12.8 million acres) due to uncontrolled wildfires. Despite being fire-adapted, these woodlands had exceptionally severe and extensive fires in 2024. Amazon fires triggered record global forest loss in 2024, but the ripple effects extended beyond the rainforest.

Southeast Asia, on the other hand, had a favorable trend. Due to successful conservation measures and community involvement, primary forest loss decreased significantly in Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia.

WRI’s global forests director called for increased investment in conservation as world leaders prepare for the climate conference in Belem, Brazil. He pointed out that financial incentives still encourage deforestation rather than preservation today.

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