Tropical forest loss doubles, fire a leading cause: Report

The loss of tropical primary forests reached 6.7 million hectares in the year — nearly twice as much as in 2023 and an area nearly the size of Panama.

Fires caused by dry conditions, in turn brought about by the climate crisis resulted in record forest loss in 2024, including in India, according to new data from the University of Maryland’s GLAD (Global Land Analysis & Discovery) Lab released by World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch platform.

India saw a 6.9% decrease in tree cover loss between 2023 and 2024 (Shutterstock)

The loss of tropical primary forests reached 6.7 million hectares in the year — nearly twice as much as in 2023 and an area nearly the size of Panama, at the rate of 18 soccer fields every minute, Global Forest Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.

India saw a 6.9% decrease in tree cover loss between 2023 and 2024 but a 5.9% increase in loss of humid primary forests in 2024, according to the data.

One of the factors that may have led to increase in primary forest loss last year in India are forest fires, the data indicates. Primary forest loss due to fires was around 950 hectares last year compared to 368 hectares in 2023, a 158% rise. India lost 22,958 hectares of primary forests compared to 21,672 hectares in 2023. Of this, 22,008 hectares were lost due to non-forest drivers.

That is the global trend too. For the first time in the records of GFW, fires and not agriculture were the leading cause of tropical primary forest loss, accounting for nearly 50% of all forest loss. This marks a dramatic shift from recent years, when fires averaged just around 20% to forest loss. Tropical primary forest loss driven by other causes also jumped by 14%, the sharpest increase since 2016.

“This level of forest loss is unlike anything we’ve seen in over 20 years of data. It’s a global red alert — a collective call to action for every country, every business and every person who cares about a liveable planet. Our economies, our communities, our health — none of it can survive without forests,” said Elizabeth Goldman, Co-Director, WRI’s Global Forest Watch in a statement.

Brazil with largest area under tropical forests, accounted for 42% of all tropical primary forest loss in 2024. Fires, fuelled by the worst drought on record, caused 66% of that loss-- over sixfold increase from 2023. The Amazon recorded its highest tree cover loss since 2016. Bolivia’s primary forest loss increased by 200% in 2024. For the first time, it ranked second for tropical primary forest loss only to Brazil, overtaking the Democratic Republic of Congo despite having less than half its forest area, the analysis said.

Fires burned five times more tropical primary forest in 2024 than in 2023. In tropical forests fires are almost entirely human caused, often started to clear land for agriculture and spreading out of control in nearby forests. 2024 was the hottest year on record with hot, dry conditions largely caused by climate change and El Nino. Latin America was particularly hard hit, the analysis said.

The area under tree cover includes all tree cover (planted, natural, primary, agroforestry); while primary humid forests are essentially old growth forests which have not been regrown, Global Forest Watch data shows.

GFW which mainly uses satellite data for their analysis records India’s baseline tree cover as 38,830,421 ha in 2001 and primary forest cover as 10,185,436 ha.

From 2002 to 2024, India lost 348,000 ha of humid primary forest, making up 15% of its total tree cover loss in the same time period. From 2001 to 2024, India lost 2.31 million hectares of tree cover, equivalent to a 7.1% decrease in tree cover since 2000, GFW said.

The dominant drivers of primary forest loss in India are shifting cultivation, agriculture and logging. Most of the loss since 2001 has occurred in northeastern states including Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram etc according to GFW.

From 2000 to 2020, India gained 1.78 million ha of tree cover equal to 1.4% of the global total.

The Union environment ministry did not respond to HT’s queries on the forest cover loss in 2024 .

HT reported on May 9 that India reported that its forest and tree cover is now 25.17% of its geographical area as per the latest India State of Forest Report (2023).