Current:Home > ScamsBrazil and Colombia see "remarkable" decrease in forest destruction after leadership changes, data show -VisionFunds
Brazil and Colombia see "remarkable" decrease in forest destruction after leadership changes, data show
View
Date:2025-04-15 11:44:55
Forest destruction in Brazil and Colombia fell "steeply" between 2022 and 2023, according to data from the University of Maryland's GLAD Lab that has been shared on the World Resources Institute's Global Forest Watch. In Brazil, primary forest loss decreased by 36%, and in Colombia it decreased by 49%, which the WRI called a "remarkable" drop.
"Yet despite these dramatic reductions, the rate of tropical primary forest loss in 2023 remained stubbornly consistent," Forest Watch researchers warned, due to huge spikes in tree cutting in Bolivia, Laos and Nicaragua. The data show an area of forest about the size of 10 football fields being destroyed globally every minute on average.
But the WRI said the changes in Brazil and Colombia showed the difference political will could make.
In Brazil, the WRI said the reduction in forest loss started with the governmental transition from former President Jair Bolsonaro, who eroded environmental protections, to returning President Inácio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to end deforestation.
In Colombia, the shift in forest loss also came alongside a change in leadership, with the administration of President Gustavo Petro Urrego focusing on rural and environmental reform.
"As some countries show political will to reduce forest loss and others do not, the frontiers of forest loss are shifting," the WRI said.
"There are just six years remaining until 2030, by which time leaders of 145 countries promised to halt and reverse forest loss," the WRI said. "While the declines in forest loss in Brazil and Colombia show promise towards that commitment, it's clear that the world is falling far short of its targets."
While deforestation remains a major concern globally, a study published several years ago offered hope that even forests cut or burned down could regrow almost completely in just a couple decades if humans leave them to do so.
The study published in the journal Science looked at 77 different forest sites across the tropics that were abandoned after deforestation. When left alone by people for 20 years, scientists found the forests regained on average 78% of their original growth.
- In:
- rainforest
- Climate Change
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Forest Fire
- deforestation
- Water Conservation
Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (491)
Related
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Biden hosts India's Modi for state visit, navigating critical relationship amid human rights concerns
- Honolulu Sues Petroleum Companies For Climate Change Damages to City
- Premature Birth Rates Drop in California After Coal and Oil Plants Shut Down
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Huntington's spreads like 'fire in the brain.' Scientists say they've found the spark
- Intermittent fasting may be equally as effective for weight loss as counting calories
- Washington State Voters Reject Nation’s First Carbon Tax
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- In Cities v. Fossil Fuels, Exxon’s Allies Want the Accusers Investigated
Ranking
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Fish make music! It could be the key to healing degraded coral reefs
- Wyoming's ban on abortion pills blocked days before law takes effect
- FDA approves a new antibody drug to prevent RSV in babies
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- 21 of the Most Charming Secrets About Notting Hill You Could Imagine
- Go Under the Sea With These Secrets About the Original The Little Mermaid
- Kids can't all be star athletes. Here's how schools can welcome more students to play
Recommendation
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Remembering David Gilkey: His NPR buddies share stories about their favorite pictures
Trump Takes Aim at Obama-Era Rules on Methane Leaks and Gas Flaring
Canada's record wildfire season continues to hammer U.S. air quality
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Just hours into sub's journey, Navy detected sound consistent with an implosion. Experts explain how it can happen.
How Jana Kramer's Ex-Husband Mike Caussin Reacted to Her and Allan Russell's Engagement
In the Mountains and Deserts of Utah, Columbia Spotted Frogs Are Sentinels of Climate Change