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2024 Marks Record Tropical Forest Loss as Fires Become Leading Cause

A new study reveals 6.7 million hectares of rainforest were destroyed in 2024, an 80% increase, driven by record heat and human-induced fires.

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Overview

  • The World Resources Institute and University of Maryland report the highest tropical forest loss since 2002, totaling 6.7 million hectares in 2024.
  • Fires accounted for nearly half of the destruction, overtaking agriculture as the leading cause for the first time.
  • The record loss coincided with 2024 being the hottest year on record, exacerbated by climate change and El Niño conditions.
  • Brazil lost 2.8 million hectares of rainforest, with two-thirds of the damage caused by fires, marking the worst Amazon losses since 2016.
  • Conflicting data from Brazil’s MapBiomas monitor, which reported a decline in deforestation, highlights challenges in global forest monitoring.