Colombia Sees 43% Surge in Deforestation

Colombia has reported a sharp 43% rise in deforestation in 2024, reversing the downward trend recorded in previous years.

According to figures released by the Environment Ministry and IDEAM, the country lost around 113,600 hectares of forest last year, with the Amazon region suffering the most severe damage.

The data marks a significant setback after 2023 witnessed a 36% drop in forest loss, reaching the lowest rate in over two decades.

Environment Minister Lena Estrada confirmed that the Amazon rainforest accounted for more than 65% of total deforestation, with an estimated 75,000 hectares destroyed. She described the Amazon as a fragile area, home to vulnerable communities now facing increasing environmental pressures.

The government attributed the rise in forest destruction to a combination of illegal land grabbing for pastures, the expansion of cattle ranching, unauthorized construction, and the growth of illicit crops such as coca. Climate change also played a role, with wildfires during prolonged droughts accelerating the forest loss.

Protected national parks were not spared. Areas like Tinigua, La Macarena, and Chiribiquete, Colombia’s UNESCO-listed heritage site, also experienced notable deforestation in 2024.

Despite the recent spike, officials highlighted that deforestation levels remain below those recorded in 2021.

Ghisliane Echeverry, head of IDEAM, noted that Colombia still maintains a net reduction in forest loss compared to that baseline year, continuing an overall downward trend that began in 2022.