Tropical forest loss slows, but El Nino fires threaten progress
Tropical rainforest loss eased last year, according to new analysis, but scientists warn that the forests are still disappearing rapidly. El Nino-driven fires may threaten gains made in 2026.
BBC reports that new analysis from Global Forest Watch found that tropical rainforest loss slowed last year. Conservation measures in Amazon basin countries such as Brazil and Colombia were credited for the improvement.
The analysis showed that global rainforest loss had fallen markedly compared with the prior year, although researchers emphasised that absolute figures remain high. Indonesia and several African countries showed flat loss rates.
Scientists pointed to the strengthened El Nino weather pattern in 2026 as a driver of forest fires; experts said fire seasons in the Amazon and Southeast Asia could erase those gains. Policymakers have flagged the need to scale up monitoring and enforcement budgets to preserve the forests' role as carbon sinks.
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