Tropical forests are losing ground more slowly, but the planet is still far from the proposed target

The pace of destruction of primary tropical forests worldwide slowed in 2025, after the negative record recorded the previous year, but forest losses continue to remain well above the threshold needed to meet international climate goals, according to a new report published by the World Resources Institute (WRI), based on data provided by the GLAD Laboratory at the University of Maryland. During 2025, the planet lost about 4.3 million hectares of primary tropical forest - equivalent to the area of Denmark - which represents a 36% reduction from the record level in 2024, Reuters reports. However, the loss remains 46% higher than a decade ago, signaling the persistence of a serious structural phenomenon.

• Brazil, the main driver of global improvement

The largest contributor to this reduction came from Brazil, the country that hosts the largest portion of the Amazon rainforest. Here, the loss of primary forest not affected by fires fell by 41% compared to 2024, reaching the lowest level ever recorded, according to wiki.org. The success is attributed to forest protection policies revived by the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has strengthened measures to combat illegal deforestation and intensified penalties for environmental crimes. Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of WRI's Global Forest Watch, stressed that the reduction demonstrates the effectiveness of government intervention: "A decrease of this magnitude in a single year is encouraging - it shows what can be achieved with decisive government action.”

• Fires and climate change remain major threats

Despite progress, the report warns that forest fires and climate change continue to exert increasing pressure on global forest ecosystems. Higher temperatures and prolonged droughts favor the spread of fires, transforming forests from important carbon sinks into sources of emissions. Matthew Hansen, director of the GLAD Lab, quoted by Reuters, warns that the lack of rapid interventions could have irreversible consequences: "If urgent action is not taken to stop fires and manage them more effectively, we risk bringing the world's most important forests to a state from which they cannot recover.” WRI warns that the phenomenon could worsen in 2026, with the return of conditions associated with the El Niño climate phenomenon.

• Agriculture remains the main driver of deforestation

Globally, the expansion of agricultural land remains the dominant cause of tropical forest loss, particularly for cash crops, cattle ranching and industrial logging. In many countries, including Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, Laos and Madagascar, economic pressures, mining and the dependence of local communities on forest resources are keeping losses high.

• The world remains far from its commitments

Although the current trend is more favorable than that of 2024, the level of global deforestation is still about 70% above the threshold compatible with the international goal set by the Glasgow Declaration, signed by more than 140 countries, to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.

• A partial victory, not a definitive success

The data published by WRI suggests that strong public policies can produce significant results in a relatively short time. However, experts warn that without massive investments in fire prevention, forest protection and agricultural system reform, recent progress risks being quickly reversed. In essence, 2025 provides a positive signal, but it does not change the fundamental reality: tropical forests continue to disappear at a rate incompatible with global climate stability. For the 2030 goals to become achievable, the reduction of deforestation must be significantly accelerated in the coming years.