Forest loss data for 2023

Tropical primary forest loss dipped 9% in 2023 to 3.7 million hectares, according to University of Maryland data released this week on World Resources Institute‘s Global Forest Watch.

The decline was driven primarily by a 36% drop in Brazil, which typically accounts for the largest proportion of tropical forest loss. Forest loss in the Amazon biome in Brazil fell 39%, but rose in the Cerrado and Pantanal, according to the data.

Key takeaways from the data:
☑ Forest loss remains persistently high despite a global push to rein in deforestation
☑ Forest fires had a major impact on the world’s forests in 2023
☑ El Niño didn’t hit SE Asian forests as badly as feared

Global tree cover loss surged 24% to 28.3 million ha due to huge increase in fires in Canada. For the rest of the world, tree cover loss decreased by 4%

Tropical primary forest loss (ha), 2019-2023

Brazil – 7,523,404

Congo (DRC) – 2,503,722

Bolivia – 1,734,872

Indonesia – 1,318,985

Peru – 817,456

Colombia – 604,676

Laos – 464,839

Cameroon – 422,673

Malaysia – 416,593

Cambodia – 282,788

Madagascar – 281,767

Papua New Guinea – 268,879

Mexico – 256,786

Nicaragua – 223,225

Myanmar – 213,449

Paraguay – 211,847

Honduras – 185,092

Venezuela – 182,554

Liberia – 143,133

Vietnam – 130,646

Republic of Congo – 127,029

Guatemala – 118,121

India – 103,706

Ecuador – 79,758

Angola – 76,520

Tree cover loss (ha), 2019-2023

Russia – 23,290,218

Canada – 16,766,092

Brazil – 15,095,027

United States – 9,708,038

Congo (DRC) – 6,323,069

Indonesia – 5,260,387

Australia – 4,588,795

Bolivia – 3,132,619

China – 2,670,339

Laos – 1,807,001

Sweden – 1,649,858

Malaysia – 1,498,317

Myanmar – 1,491,700

Colombia – 1,320,164

Finland – 1,308,452

Madagascar – 1,289,803

Angola – 1,256,698

Mozambique – 1,246,207

Paraguay – 1,236,609

Mexico – 1,221,254

Peru – 1,198,914

Côte d’Ivoire – 1,036,661

Argentina – 992,861

Vietnam – 917,953

Tanzania – 883,769