Wildfires Push Global Forest Loss in 2024
(MENAFN) New findings reveal that climate change–intensified wildfires have become the primary cause of deforestation worldwide in 2024, surpassing agricultural expansion for the first time.
This marks a significant transformation in the factors contributing to global forest decline.
A recent study from the University of Maryland in the United States highlights that 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary rainforest were destroyed this year—almost twice the area lost in the preceding year, 2023.
This surge in forest degradation points to a worsening environmental crisis.
Wildfires were responsible for close to 50 percent of all forest loss globally, indicating a substantial alteration in the underlying causes of deforestation.
These fires also emitted around 4.1 gigatons of greenhouse gases, a volume more than quadruple that produced by the entire aviation sector.
Scientists emphasize that the consequences of these blazes extend beyond carbon emissions.
The fires have significantly degraded air quality, harmed aquatic ecosystems, and threatened the economic well-being of countless communities reliant on forest resources.
In the previous year, total global forest depletion increased by 5 percent, reaching approximately 30 million hectares—an expanse comparable to the size of Italy.
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