Global tropical forest loss slows, but El Niño poses fire risk
via The Namibian3 min read
New satellite data indicates a slowdown in tropical rainforest loss during 2025, with approximately 43,000 square kilometers of old-growth tropical forests lost globally. This figure represents a 36% decrease compared to the record losses observed in 2024. Despite this improvement, scientists caution that tropical forests are still vanishing at a significantly faster rate than a decade ago. Researchers attribute the reduced loss in 2025 to enhanced forest protection efforts in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Malaysia. However, concerns remain regarding the potential for increased and more severe forest fires due to the combined effects of climate change and the anticipated arrival of the warming El Niño weather pattern later this year.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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