Global forest crisis: Earth losing forest area equivalent to 18 football fields per minute

The global forest crisis is reaching a boiling point! Earth is losing forest area equivalent to 18 football fields every minute last year. The main cause is increasingly severe wildfires driven by soaring global temperatures.

Latest data from Global Forest Watch, by the World Resources Institute (WRI), reveals that in 2024 the world experienced the highest-ever rates of tropical and boreal forest loss.

The primary cause is the intensifying wildfires fueled by record-breaking global temperatures. This loss also releases a massive amount of greenhouse gases, equivalent to four times the total emissions from global air travel in 2023.

Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of Global Forest Watch, warned, “This is a red alert for the entire world. Such levels of forest loss have never been seen in over 20 years.”

Broken Promises

Primary tropical forests — pristine forests largely untouched by humans — serve as critical carbon sinks, functioning as the lungs of the planet by regulating climate, cycling water, and hosting diverse species.

At the COP26 Climate Summit in 2021, over 140 countries pledged to end all forest loss by the end of this decade. However, data shows these promises remain far from reality. Last year, primary tropical forest loss soared to 6.7 million hectares — nearly double that of 2023.
As mentioned, this equates to 18 football fields disappearing every single minute. Just imagine the scale.

WRI states that among the 20 countries with the largest primary forest areas who signed the 2021 forest agreement, 15 are losing trees at rates faster than when they made the pledge.

Wildfires: The Villain Intensified by Global Warming

This dire situation follows the hottest year on record, with global temperatures rising over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time.
The United Nations warns temperatures will continue to climb without serious greenhouse gas emission reductions. Worldwide wildfires emitted 4.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases last year alone, further fueling global warming.

Rod Taylor, WRI’s director of forests and nature conservation, explained, “We are in a new era where agricultural clearing is no longer the only major driver. Now we face the powerful climate change feedback loop — wildfires are fiercer and more destructive than ever.”

Besides the tropics, wildfires in Canada and Russia contributed to forest losses last year equal to the size of Italy.

Brazil Faces Major Challenges Ahead of COP30

Brazil, hosting COP30 this year, faces a heavy challenge as it accounted for 42% of tropical primary forest loss last year — more than any other country. The main causes are wildfires fueled by the worst droughts on record and industrial-scale soybean farming and livestock production.

Reducing deforestation and raising funds for conservation are top priorities for COP30, to be held this November in Belém, in the Amazon region.

Brazil plans to launch a $125 billion fund to finance global forest protection efforts.

Other countries experiencing severe forest loss per WRI data include Bolivia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo.

Conversely, Indonesia and Malaysia have managed to reduce deforestation rates, largely due to land restoration projects and wildfire control efforts.

Globally, wildfires have become the leading cause of forest loss, surpassing agriculture and accounting for nearly half of all damage — up from about 20% in previous years.

Other contributing factors include illegal mining and coca production in Colombia, as well as conflict and poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo.