Last year, tropical forest loss increased despite pledges from various companies and governments to curb deforestation. According to data published in the World Resources Institute Global Forest Review*, 4.12 million hectares of primary tropical forest were lost in the tropics in 2022 – 10% more than in 2021.

Primary tropical forests are critical areas for carbon storage and biodiversity. According to forest monitoring data, the loss of primary tropical forests in 2022 resulted in 2.7 Gt of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to India's annual fossil fuel emissions.

As shown in the Statista chart, the loss of primary tropical forests reached its highest level in 2016 compared to the other years covered by the source, and has remained high since then. Although 30,000 hectares fewer losses related to fires were recorded in 2022 compared to the previous year (2021), 400,000 hectares more in losses were recorded due to non-fire-related incidents.

Brazil holds the most primary forests and recorded the largest losses in this biome. Last year, it accounted for over 40% of the total tropical forest loss globally, and non-fire-related losses (mostly due to logging) reached their highest level in the country since 2005. The authors of the report highlight that this trend could improve under the leadership of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula), who has pledged to end deforestation in the Amazon and other Brazilian regions by 2030.
* https://www.globalforestwatch.org/blog/data-and-research/global-tree-cover-loss-data-2022/