Fires cause a record loss of tropical forests in the climate threat

World tropical forests, which provide a decisive buffer against climate change, have disappeared faster than ever registered last year, suggests a new satellite analysis.

Researchers believe that 67,000 square kilometers (26,000 square miles) of these pristine forests from old plants were lost in 2024, almost as large as the Republic of Ireland, or 18 football terrains per minute.

The fires were the main cause, ahead of land permissions from agriculture for the first time, with Amazon Faring being particularly bad against the backdrop of record drought.

However, there were more positive news in Southeast Asia, with government policies helping to reduce forest loss.

Tropical tropical forests store hundreds of billions of tonnes of carbon in soil and tree trunks. But this new global recording raises additional questions about their resistance to a warming planet.

Many researchers are concerned about some forests, such as parts of the Amazon, can approach a “turning point” beyond which they can fall into an irreversible decline.

“The idea of ​​Tipping Point is, in my opinion, the more correct,” says Prof. Matthew Hansen, a Glad Laboratory for the University of Maryland, who produces the data.

Prof. Hansen described the new results as “frightening” and warned of the possible “savanization” of tropical forests, where tropical forests of old plants die back and constantly switch to savannah.

“It's still a theory, but I think it's increasingly right -handed by looking at the data.”

A a separate study., Posted last weekMake a similar warning of any significant Amazon recreation if global warming exceeds International Purpose from 1.5CS

Not only would this endanger the living massif of wild animals living in these most bio diversity, but there will also be serious consequences for the global climate.

Until recently, Amazon was doing a service to humanity, absorbing more carbon dioxide on the planet (CO2) than released.

But the burning of these forests emits huge amounts of CO2 – adding to warming rather than restricting it.

In 2023-24 the Amazon survived his oldest drought on the recording, nourished by climate change and natural warming The baby meteorological modelS

Many fires have been intentionally started to clear the land for agriculture, which makes it difficult to distinguish the two.

But the drought provides ideal conditions for fires to spread out of control, with Brazil and Bolivia being most affected.

Although only one year old, he meets the expected model of more intensive tropical fires in a warming world.

“I think we are in a new phase where not only agriculture clearing is the main engine,” says Rod Taylor of the World Resource Institute (WRI), which is also behind the last report.

“Now we have this new reinforcing effect, which is a real feedback cycle for climate change, where fires are just much more intensive and much more playing than they were once.”

A total record loss of global (primary) tropical forests in the world has released 3.1 billion tonnes of gases to warm the planet, researchers estimate.

This is about the same as European Union emissions.

However, countries in Southeast Asia have reduced the global trend.

The area of ​​primary forest loss in Indonesia fell by 11% compared to 2023, for example, despite the conditions of drought.

This was the result of the agreed efforts of governments and communities working together to implement “without burning” laws, according to Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of the global project to watch Forest Watch in WRI.

“Indonesia serves as a bright place in the 2024 data,” she said.

“Political will is a key factor for success – this is impossible otherwise,” agreed Gabriel Labbat, head of mitigating climate change in the United Nations Program, which did not participate in today's report.

Other countries, including Brazil, have noted success in the past with similar approaches, but have begun to increase losses again in 2014 after a change in government policies.

Prof. Hansen said that although progress in Southeast Asia is positive, fluctuations in forest loss in Brazil show that protection policies should be consistent.

“The key we have not yet seen is the supporting success in reducing and maintaining low levels of conversion of these ecosystems, and if you are interested in maintaining the environment, you should always win forever,” he told BBC News.

Researchers agree that this year's Climate Summit Cop30 – which takes place in the Amazon – will be crucial to sharing and promoting forest protection schemes.

One suggestion is to reward countries that maintain tropical forests through payments. The detail is yet to be developed, but there is a promise, according to the genus Taylor.

“I think this is an example of an innovation that deals with one of the main problems that there is currently more money that should be done by cutting the forests than to support them to stand,” he said.

Ervan Rivo Graphics