Tropical forest loss eases after record year: researchers

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Washington DC: In a major environmental development, global tropical primary rainforest loss dropped by 36% in 2025, falling to 4.3 million hectares.

Researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland attribute this significant slowdown largely to decisive government action and stronger environmental enforcement in nations like Brazil and Colombia. Brazil, specifically, saw a 41% reduction in forest loss, hitting its lowest rate on record.

Despite this encouraging trend, experts warn that the situation remains critical. Current forest loss is still 46% higher than it was a decade ago, with an area the size of Denmark vanishing last year alone equivalent to 11 football fields per minute.

Furthermore, climate-change-fueled wildfires are becoming a ‘dangerous new normal,’ threatening to undo recent progress. Global forest loss currently remains 70% above the levels needed to meet international 2030 conservation goals.

Photo Credits: AFP