New data from the University of Maryland Global Land Analysis and Discovery (UMD GLAD) shows a 10% increase in tropical primary rainforest loss in 2022 compared to the previous year, resulting in the destruction of 4.1 million hectares of forest.

This alarming loss of tropical primary forests translates to a rate of 11 football fields disappearing every minute. The extensive deforestation contributed to a staggering 2.7 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to India's annual fossil fuel emissions.

The trend directly contradicts the commitments outlined in the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use, where 145 countries pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by the end of the decade. Forests play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change, supporting human well-being and safeguarding biodiversity.

Brazil experienced the most tropical forest loss by area, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bolivia, while Indonesia and Malaysia maintained lower rates. 

Since 2000, GLAD has monitored global forest extent and change as a part of the Global Forest Watch initiative in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI). The tree cover loss data was provided by GLAD Assistant Research Scientist Svetlana Turubanova and Research Professor Peter Potapov, while Assistant Research Professor Sasha Tyukavina updated the data on tree cover loss due to fire.

Photo by the World Resources Institute on Unsplash