RELEASE: Global Forest Loss Shatters Records in 2024, Fueled by Massive Fires
Global #forest loss surged to record highs in 2024, driven by a catastrophic rise in #fires, according to new data from the University of Maryland’s GLAD Lab, made available on World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch platform. Loss of tropical primary #forests alone reached 6.7 million hectares — nearly twice as much as in 2023 and an area nearly the size of Panama, at the rate of 18 soccer fields every minute.
For the first time on our record, #fires — not #agriculture — were the leading cause of tropical #PrimaryForest loss, accounting for nearly 50% of all destruction. This marks a dramatic shift from recent years, when fires averaged just 20%. Meanwhile, tropical primary forest loss driven by other causes also jumped by 14%, the sharpest increase since 2016.
https://www.wri.org/news/release-global-forest-loss-shatters-records-2024-fueled-massive-fires
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