Global forest loss slows but El Niño fires could threaten progress
Tropical forest losses fell for a second year, says the World Resources Institute, led by Brazil and Colombia. But an approaching El Niño cycle is raising fire risk in the Amazon and Congo basin.
Global deforestation slowed for a second consecutive year in 2025, the World Resources Institute (WRI) said in its annual Forest Watch report, with tropical primary forest losses down about 12% from 2024. The decline was led by Brazil and Colombia, where stronger enforcement under President Lula and an improved Amazon monitoring system helped curb illegal clearance.
Indonesia and Malaysia also recorded slower losses, helped by sustained palm-oil deforestation pledges. But analysts warned the headline figure masks a sharp rise in fire-driven losses in the Congo basin and parts of Bolivia. Researchers said an emerging El Niño cycle this year is expected to push higher temperatures across central Africa and the Amazon, raising fire risk.
The slowdown matters for global climate targets. Tropical forests absorb roughly a quarter of fossil-fuel emissions each year, and their loss accounts for around 10% of greenhouse-gas output. The WRI cautioned that without sustained funding for satellite monitoring and indigenous-led enforcement, the 2025 gains could be erased by even one severe fire season.
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