The area of tropical rainforest decreased by 67,000 square kilometers last year. This is almost double the amount under 2023, according to a report from World Resources Institute.
For the first time since the institute began its mapping, it is fires and not agriculture that is behind the drastic decrease in rainforest. Fires caused around half of all destruction, a figure that usually lies at 20 percent. Extensive periods of drought have made many fires hard to control.
In total, an area equivalent to 18 football fields disappeared per minute, according to researchers from the University of Maryland behind the report. Brazil, which suffered a severe drought last year, was one of the most affected countries. Colombia also saw a drastic decrease.
Tropical rainforest is crucial for binding carbon dioxide and securing precipitation patterns. According to the report, the rainforest decrease corresponds to emissions four times as large as those emitted by the aviation industry in 2023.
The decrease in rainforest also affects biodiversity dramatically.
