How one tropical forest turned the tide on loggers

There are no roads through the Darién Gap. This vast inpenetrable forest spans the width of the landbridge between South and Central America, but there is no way through it: travellers must get from one side to the other by boat or by plane.

- Luke Taylor

Forest loss inside the Darién national park has plummeted.

That size and hostility have shielded it from development for millennia, protecting hundreds of species in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

But it also makes it incredibly difficult to protect. Looking after these 575,000 hectares of beach, mangrove and rainforest with just 20 rangers often felt impossible, says Segundo Sugasti, director of Darién national park. Like tropical forests all over the world, it has been steadily shrinking, with at least 15% lost to logging, mining and cattle ranching in two decades.

But in the past three years Panama has mounted a surprising fightback that could give hope to forests all over the world. In 2022 the government took a hard line on deforestation and modernised its park ranger force. Deforestation in the park began falling that year and accelerated after the president, José Raúl Mulino, took office in July 2024 with the goal of turning Panama into a world-leading ecotourism destination.

Mulino purged the environment ministry of corrupt officials and introduced a blanket moratorium on logging to stop companies exploiting indigenous logging permits. The force was expanded, with 40 new ranger recruits and 11 forestry officers, swelling the force from 20 officers to more than 70. The number of patrols has increased from nearly zero in 2022 to 55 in 2024 - with more than 150 expected in 2025.