According to new data, the destruction of rainforests in their most beautiful state continued at an alarming rate in 2021. This raises concerns that governments won’t meet the Cop26 agreement to stop and reverse deforestation by the end.
From the Brazilian Amazon to Congo basin, the tropics lost 11.m hectares last year in tree cover, including 3.75m ha primary forest that is critical for limiting global warming and biodiversity loss.
According to data from Global Forest Watch, the University of Maryland has released new data that shows that Boreal forests, mainly in Russia suffered a record loss in 2021. This was caused by the worst wildfire seasons in Siberia since records began.
Experts called the ongoing forest loss a disaster to global heating action. They said that the 143 countries that pledged to stop and reverse forest destruction by 2030 at Cop26, held in Glasgow, must immediately fulfill their commitment.
40% of the primary rainforest that was lost to 2021, releasing the equivalent of India’s annual fossil-fuel emissions, disappeared in Brazil. The Democratic Republic of Congo (Bolivia, Indonesia, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) made up the remaining five.
Experts pointed out signs of hope in the new figures, despite the continuing loss of forests. Indonesia saw primary forest loss drop for the fifth year straight after taking government action on palm oil, fire control and an updated national plan that aims to make Indonesia a carbon sink.
Malaysia has also seen a reduction in primary forest loss in recent years. Experts pointed to the Guyanas and Gabon, which have experienced very low rates over the past two decades.
Rod Taylor, global director of the forest programme at The World Resources InstituteThe report was compiled by the World Resources Institute (WRI), who stated that while global forest loss rates appear to be flatlining they must dramatically decrease if the world is to meet its climate targets.
If you look at the same year-on-year statistics you might conclude that they don’t offer a headline worthy of attention. However, when it comes to the loss and destruction of primary tropical forests, the stubbornly persistent rates are related to the climate, the extinction crises, and the fates of many first peoples. Taylor stated that high rates of loss persist despite pledges by countries and companies.
Wildfires and rising temperatures are threatening the forest resilience around the world. Warnings indicate that parts of the Amazon could be in danger of becoming savannah. According to the figures, there was a worrying spike in deforestation along roads in the western Brazilian Amazon.
A spokesperson for the Brazilian government stated that they are committed to the Glasgow forest agreement, which aims to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2028. They also have additional resources to meet the target.
Forest loss in the DRC was driven by small-scale agriculture expansion and the harvesting of trees for energy needs. Bolivia saw a record number of primary forest losses last year due to fires and agriculture, even in protected areas.
Frances Seymour (a senior fellow at WRI) stated that the Cop26 figures of 2021 must be used as a baseline. However, she warned that urgent action is needed and warned that countries who are taking action are not receiving sufficient financial support.
Seymour stated that there are 20 years worth of data showing the loss of primary tropical forests in the United States. We don’t have enough time to count the years that are left to bring this number down to zero. We knew this already: such losses are a disaster to the climate. They are a disaster for biodiversity. They are a disaster for Indigenous communities and the local peoples.
We need to drastically reduce emissions from every source. There is no reason to think about planting trees more than reducing the emissions from fossil fuels. It must be both, and it has to happen now before it’s too late.
Lord Goldsmith, the UK’s environment minister, spoke out to say that the figures are a stark reminder of how important it is for governments to keep their promises.
Millions of people will be affected if we continue to destroy the world’s great forests, from Amazon to Congo basin. He said that we are destroying complex natural systems that all depend on and that makes it impossible to achieve any of our global goals, including peace and prosperity.
The DRC government and Bolivian governments didn’t respond to requests for comment.
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