Where have the forests gone? A reckoning with reforestation initiatives

The view from Masungi is both hope and heartbreak: regrowth in one place, emptiness in the rest. An urgent question echoes: Where have the forests gone?

- BILLIE DUMALIANG

It’s a question that hits close to home. This June, the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind, through Global Forest Watch, revealed an alarming 80 percent increase in tropical primary forest loss from 2023 to 2024. That’s over six million hectares of ancient forests gone—many of them torched by human-set fires worsened by a stronger El Niño and a heating planet. These weren’t just trees—they were carbon stores, habitats, and natural buffers that we can no longer afford to lose.

Alongside this, The Nature Conservancy released a new global map showing where reforestation can make the biggest difference. It’s a shift from planting everywhere to planting wisely—prioritizing areas where trees can survive, thrive, and deliver real benefits to climate, biodiversity, and people. They call it “rightsizing” reforestation. The message is clear: Doing better means being smarter.