Colombia’s limited success in checking deforestation

Colombia lost forest cover in the fragile Amazon part of the country in 2024 which was much higher than in 2023 which had the lowest rate of deforestation.

- 

But the 2024 figure of 113,608 hectares (280,700 acres) was 43 per cent higher than in 2023.

The deforestation is attributed to expanding grazing land for cattle, increase in farm land, illicit mining and haphazard growth of infrastructure in the forest areas. The Ministry of Environment report however showed that the deforestation has been on the decline for the last three years.

With 2021 as baseline, deforestation dropped by 22 per cent in 2022, by 54 per cent in 2023, and 34 per cent in 2024. The ministry has asserted that in the 2022-24 period, cumulative reduction was 39 per cent.