Fires cause a record loss of rainforest in the climate threat

In the world, which provides for the last year, world tropical forests, which provide a decisive climate climate climate, disappeared faster than when it is recorded, according to a new satellite analysis.

The researchers estimate that 67,000 square km (26,000 square miles) of these pristine forests were lost in 2024-plate almost the same as Ireland, or 18 football sites per minute.

The main cause of the fires was the main reason, for the first time overtaking the gaps from agriculture, and Amazon Faring is particularly bad against the background of drought.

However, in Southeast Asia, there were more positive news when government policy helped reduce the loss of forest.

Tropical tropical forests retain hundreds of billions of carbon in soils and wood trunks. But this new global record raises additional questions about its stability on the planet warming.

Many researchers are concerned about some forests, such as parts of the Amazon, may approach the “turning point” behind which they could fall into irreversible decline.

“The idea of ​​the turning point is that I think it is increasingly correct,” said Professor Matthew Hansen, Glada Lab co-director at Maryland University, which produces the data.

Professor Hansen described new results as “scary”, and warned of the possible “savings” of the rainforest, where the rainforests of ancient growth die back and constantly switch to Savana.

“It’s still theory, but I think it’s increasingly plausible to look at the data.”

A A separate training. Posted last weekmade a similar warning about the possible significant dying of Amazon if global warming exceeds International Purpose 1.5C.

Not only does it threaten the bright array of wildlife, which lives in these majority of biodiversity habitats, but will also have serious consequences for the global climate.

Until recently, Amazon made humanity grace, absorbing more planets that warms carbon dioxide (CO2) than it is released.

But the burning of these forests radiates a huge amount of CO2 – adding to warming rather than limiting it.

In 2023-24 years Amazon survived Its the worst drought On the record, fueled by climate change and natural warming Baby pattern of weather.

Many fires begin intentionally to clear the land for agriculture, which makes it difficult to separate two.

But the drought provided ideal conditions for the spread of fires from the control, and Brazil and Bolivia were most affected.

Although only one year it corresponds to the expected picture of more intense tropical fires in the world of warming.

“I think we are in a new stage where the chief driver is not only a clearing for agriculture,” said Taylor’s family of the World Resource Institute (WRI), which is also worth the last report.

“Now we have this new amplifying effect, which is a real climate feedback cycle, where the fires are just much more intense and much more fierce than when -there were any.”

In total, the record loss in the world (primary) tropical forests produced 3.1 billion tons of gases that warm the planets, the researchers believe.

This is about the same as the European Union’s emissions.

However, the countries of Southeast Asia have gathered a global trend.

For example, the area of ​​primary forest loss in Indonesia decreased by 11% compared to 2023, for example, despite drought.

This was the result of the agreed efforts of governments and communities working together to fulfill the “without burning” the laws, according to Elizabeth Goldman, co -director of the Global Forest Watch project in WRI.

“Indonesia serves as a bright spot in the 2024 data,” she said.

“Political will is a key success factor – otherwise it is impossible,” said Gabriel Labat, the head of climate mitigation in the UN UN program under the UNREDD program, which did not participate in today’s report.

Other countries, including Brazil, have seen success with similar approaches in the past, but began to see the losses in 2014 after a change in public policy.

Professor Hansen said that although the progress in Southeast Asia was positive, the fluctuations in Brazil’s loss indicate that the defense policy should be consistent.

“The key we have not seen yet is a success in reducing and maintaining the low level of transformation of these ecosystems, and if you are interested in maintaining the environment, you must win always and forever,” he said BBC News.

Researchers agree that this year’s COP30 climatic summit – which runs in Amazon – will be crucial for the exchange and promotion of forests protection.

One of the proposals is the remuneration of countries that support the rainforests through payments. According to Taylor’s family, the item will still be designed, but my promise.

“I think this is an example of an innovation, which is one of the main issues that you currently need to make more money to cut forests than to keep them standing,” he said.

Graphics of the Hervan Riva