Global forest loss slows but El Niño fires could threaten progress
Tropical forest loss slowed worldwide last year, BBC reports, but rising fires linked to the El Niño weather pattern could erase recent gains. Brazil saw a steep drop in Amazon deforestation. The figures underscore Latin America's pivotal role in meeting global climate targets.
Tropical forest loss slowed sharply at a global level last year, according to data carried by the BBC. Brazil led the improvement, with double-digit drops in Amazon deforestation. The Brazilian government credited stepped-up enforcement operations and tighter satellite monitoring for the result.
Researchers caution it is too early to declare victory. The active El Niño weather pattern is pushing temperatures higher and drying out vegetation, and fire counts have already risen in parts of the Amazon and the Cerrado. Agricultural expansion in Bolivia and Colombia underlines that regional pressure on forests has not gone away.
Latin American governments will face renewed scrutiny on deforestation pledges at the next COP climate summit. International commodity investors, meanwhile, are bracing for tighter sustainability standards in supply chains for soy, beef and palm oil.
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