Tropical Deforestation remained stubbornly high in 2023
According to new data from the University of Maryland, accessible through WRI’s Global Forest Watch, the loss of primary forests in 2023 amounted to 3.7 million hectares, an area comparable to that of The Netherlands. Although this marks a 9% decrease from 2022, the rate of loss in 2023 closely mirrored that of 2019 and 2021. The cumulative loss of these forests resulted in the emission of 2.4 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide in 2023, equivalent to the total emissions of the EU in 2022.
The disparities among countries were notable. Brazil and Colombia saw significant reductions in primary forest loss between 2022 and 2023, with decreases of 36% and 49% respectively. However, these achievements were offset by steep increases in forest loss in Bolivia, Laos, and Nicaragua, along with more moderate rises in other nations.
