Global forest loss slows but El Niño fires could threaten progress

Global tropical forest loss slowed significantly in 2025, with satellite data indicating a 36% reduction compared to the record losses of 2024. Approximately 43,000 square kilometers of old-growth tropical forests were lost worldwide last year, an area roughly equivalent to the size of Denmark. This decline is largely attributed to improved forest protection efforts, particularly in Brazil, Colombia, and Malaysia, as well as a reduction in the unprecedented fires that devastated forests in 2024. Despite this progress, scientists caution that tropical forests continue to disappear at a rate much faster than a decade ago, posing ongoing environmental concerns. Brazil, home to the world’s largest rainforest, showed notable improvements due to strengthened environmental policies and law enforcement, with deforestation excluding fire-related losses dropping to the lowest levels since 2002. The slowdown in forest loss is seen as a positive sign that political will and targeted conservation measures can yield tangible results. Tropical rainforests play a critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide and supporting biodiversity, making their preservation vital for mitigating climate change and maintaining global ecological balance. However, experts warn that the arrival of the El Niño weather pattern later this year, combined with the ongoing impacts of climate change, could reverse these gains by increasing the frequency and severity of forest fires. The warming conditions associated with El Niño are expected to create drier environments that facilitate larger and more intense fires, threatening the health and resilience of tropical forests. This dual threat underscores the fragility of recent progress and the need for sustained and enhanced conservation efforts. Global commitments to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, made at the COP26 climate summit, remain far from being met. The record deforestation and fire activity in 2024 highlighted the challenges posed by climate-driven extremes. As Rod Taylor of the World Resources Institute noted, while forests are adapted to cope with normal climate variability, the increasing intensity of droughts and fires driven by climate change presents unprecedented risks to these vital ecosystems.