Rhett Ayers Butler
Near the end of each year or the start of a new one, I often publish an analysis of key issues to watch for rainforests in the year ahead. Here is my list for 2025: six critical storylines likely to shape the future of these vital ecosystems. Rainforest Outlook 2025 For reference, previous versions of […]
The year 2024 saw significant developments in tropical rainforest conservation, deforestation, and degradation. While progress in some regions provided glimmers of hope, systemic challenges and emerging threats highlighted the fragility of these ecosystems. Although a complete comparison of tropical forest loss in 2024 with previous years is not yet available, there are currently no indications […]
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 31% over the past year, reaching the lowest level in nine years, according to data from the country’s national space research institute, INPE. For the year ending July 31, the Brazilian Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles)—roughly the size of Delaware in the U.S.—marking the […]
215 million hectares of deforested and degraded former forest land are capable of natural regrowth without significant human intervention—an area larger than Mexico. That’s according to a study published last week in Nature. The research, based on high-resolution satellite data analysis across the tropics, identified five nations—Brazil, Indonesia, China, Mexico, and Colombia—as having over half […]
A recent study has put the Indonesian government’s claims about the economic benefits of oil palm cultivation in Papua under scrutiny, reports Hans Nicholas Jong. Papua is the Indonesia-controlled portion of the island of New Guinea The Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation’s analysis reveals that the environmental and social costs tied to the palm oil industry […]
Global interest in reforestation as a climate solution is growing, but with it comes a proliferation of inexperienced organizations and opaque strategies, often resulting in failures and unintended consequences. This trend has led to calls for greater transparency in reporting outcomes and best practices. A recent study led by researchers at the University of California, […]
The destruction of tropical forests is often framed as a carbon issue, but it has more immediate consequences for people living nearby. One of the most tangible effects is local temperature. Deforestation in Borneo, for instance, has left the island significantly hotter and drier, with severe consequences for both the environment and local communities. A […]
One of my favorite aspects of running Mongabay is hearing about how our reporting has led to meaningful impacts around the world. Recently, we learned that the Matsés Native Community, the largest in Peru, terminated their agreement with the Peruvian company Get Life. This decision followed a Mongabay investigation — False claims of U.N. backing […]
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 […]