The year 2024 marked a grim milestone for the planet’s forests. According to new global satellite data, the world lost a record 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest last year—an area roughly the size of Ireland. For the first time, wildfires—intensified by the impacts of climate change—became the dominant cause of forest destruction, surpassing traditional drivers like agriculture and logging.
The figures, released by Global Forest Watch in collaboration with the University of Maryland, paint a troubling picture of the state of the world’s carbon-rich ecosystems. The sharp increase in forest loss has also triggered widespread concern among climate scientists and policymakers, who warn that such trends threaten not only biodiversity and Indigenous livelihoods but also the global climate agenda.
Fires Emerge as the Leading Driver
In a notable shift from previous patterns, nearly half of the tropical primary forest loss in 2024 was caused by fire. This represents a fivefold increase in fire-related loss compared to 2023. The scale of emissions from these events was staggering: tropical forest fires released an estimated 4.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide last year—more than four times the global aviation sector’s emissions in 2023.
The Amazon basin was particularly hard hit. Brazil accounted for 42 percent of all tropical primary forest loss, with the vast majority of that driven by fire. The country faced its worst drought in decades, creating ideal conditions for widespread blazes that even impacted areas previously considered fire-resistant. Scientists attributed the fire outbreaks to a combination of extreme heat, low humidity, and land degradation—all worsened by rising global temperatures.
Bolivia also experienced a sharp escalation, with forest loss more than doubling year-on-year. Fires driven by both climatic conditions and land-clearing activities for agriculture led to the destruction of over 1.5 million hectares of forest, making it the second-highest contributor globally.
Boreal Forests Face Unprecedented Loss
While tropical forests are often the focus of global deforestation reports, boreal forests—particularly in Canada—suffered an equally severe blow in 2024. The Canadian wildfire season broke multiple records, with more than 18 million hectares of land burned across the country, including large swathes of intact forest.
Boreal fires are particularly concerning because they tend to burn deep into the soil, releasing massive amounts of stored carbon. Unlike tropical rainforests, boreal forests regenerate more slowly, meaning these ecosystems may take decades—or longer—to recover. This has implications for global carbon budgets and the pace of climate mitigation efforts.
Congo Basin and Southeast Asia: Compounding Pressures
In Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) saw a significant increase in forest loss, with 45 percent of its primary forest decline linked to fire. This represents a major shift in a region where agricultural clearing and charcoal production have traditionally been the main threats. Fire incidents in DRC in 2024 were closely tied to prolonged dry periods and inadequate land management practices.
Southeast Asia, meanwhile, presented a mixed picture. While parts of Indonesia and Malaysia recorded slight declines in primary forest loss—thanks to improved peatland protection and enforcement—other areas, such as Papua New Guinea, saw new logging pressures driven by global demand for timber and palm oil.
A Setback to Global Climate Commitments
The 2024 forest loss figures pose a serious challenge to the international community’s climate and biodiversity commitments. More than 140 countries pledged under the 2021 Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. But current trends suggest that the world is moving in the opposite direction.
To meet the 2030 targets, experts say forest loss must decline by at least 20 percent each year beginning in 2024. However, 17 of the world’s 20 most forested countries reported increases in forest loss over the past two years. In many cases, climate change is compounding the effects of poor land governance, extractive industries, and weak enforcement of environmental laws.
Elizabeth Goldman, senior analyst at Global Forest Watch, called the situation a “global red alert,” adding that failure to reverse the current trajectory could push the planet closer to ecological tipping points. “We are seeing fire become a major driver of deforestation in areas where it was once rare. That’s a clear signal of climate destabilisation,” she said.
India’s Position in the Global Forest Landscape
India was not among the countries experiencing catastrophic forest loss in 2024. However, researchers caution that several ecologically sensitive zones—such as the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, and parts of Central India—remain vulnerable to similar risks. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and expanding land-use changes could expose Indian forests to new fire regimes in the coming years.
India’s official figures report a modest increase in forest and tree cover, but independent experts have raised concerns about the quality and classification of this data. In many cases, commercial plantations and degraded lands are counted as forests, masking the decline of natural ecosystems.
India is a signatory to multiple global forest and climate pledges, including the Bonn Challenge and the Paris Agreement. Yet implementation on the ground remains uneven. Environmentalists argue that the focus must shift toward strengthening community-led forest management, restoring degraded landscapes, and enhancing climate resilience in forested regions.
Path Forward: Prevention, Adaptation, and Equity
Experts agree that reversing the current trend in forest loss requires urgent and coordinated action. Fire prevention strategies—including early warning systems, prescribed burns, and landscape-level management—must be significantly expanded, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions.
At the same time, financial support for forest conservation and restoration must increase. Many Indigenous and local communities who serve as frontline defenders of forests still lack access to climate finance and policy protections. Without empowering them, lasting forest protection may remain out of reach.
There is also growing pressure on developed countries and corporations to align trade and investment policies with forest preservation goals. The global demand for soy, beef, timber, and palm oil continues to drive deforestation in biodiversity-rich countries, often through opaque supply chains and weak regulation.
With just five years left to meet the 2030 deforestation goals, time is running out. The 2024 forest loss figures serve as both a warning and a call to action. Unless climate change is addressed at its roots—and unless forest governance becomes more transparent, equitable, and adaptive—such record-breaking years may soon become the norm.
