Amazon deforestation surges in Colombia, reversing historic gains
Bogota, Colombia (AP) – The Colombian government reported on Thursday a strong global increase in deforestation in the Amazon forest of the country for last year, reversing a large part of the progress made during a historic hollow in 2023.
The National Meteorological Agency said that the expansion of pastures for cattle, illicit crops, illegal mining and the development of unregulated infrastructure were to be blamed.
The data was published only one month after the Ministry of the Environment Colombia noted a drop in destructive practice in the first quarter of this year, citing stronger community coordination and repression against environmental crime.
Last year’s overall figures show that the country has lost 113,608 hectares (around 280,700 acres) of forest in 2024 – an increase of 43% compared to the previous year, when deforestation had dropped to its lowest level in more than two decades.
The data presented by the Minister of the Environment Lena Estrada Añokazi and the Meteorological Agency Ideam show that the heaviest losses have been concentrated in the Amazon region.
“These figures represent the work and the commitment that this government has made to preserve forests and biodiversity,” said Estrada. “However, all the efforts we have made were not sufficient, because deforestation persists.”
The most affected regions were the regions of Meta, Caqueta, Guaviare and Putumayo – all in the so -called Amazon Arc, a high deforestation corridor where the breeding of illegal cattle, the grabbing of land and the construction of roads develop.
According to Ideam, more than 77,000 hectares were eliminated in Amazon only, representing 65% of all forest losses in 2024.
Estrada said the increase in deforestation last year was partly driven by forest fires during drought intensified by climate change.
“The most affected territory is the Amazon, a fragile region where vulnerable populations also live,” said Estrada.
Deforestation has also increased in protected national parks, including the regions of Tinigua, Macarena and Chiribiquete, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ideam director Ghisliane Echeverry said that despite the rise in 2024, Colombia still maintains a clear reduction in the loss of forest, compared to the reference year of 2021.
In 2023, Colombia recorded its lowest level of deforestation since the start of surveillance, a drop widely credited for better application, indigenous partnerships and demobilization of armed groups in certain parts of the Amazon.
But early alert systems had reported a rebound in the forest clearing during the first half of 2024.
However, despite the tip, deforestation remains lower than the levels of 2021, pursuing an overall decreased trend since 2022.
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