Colombia sees deforestation fall to its lowest level in 23 years

Louise Frohlich
Written By
Maximilian Schwerdtfeger
Reviewed By
Published on 18 July 2024
  • Deforestation in Colombia rose to a record high in 2017 
  • It has now decreased by 36% since 2022 due to conservation efforts in the Amazon
  • Forest loss fell from 1,235sq km in 2022 to 792sq km in 2023
aerial view of desforestation

Colombia’s government has made huge efforts to cut deforestation levels in the Amazon rainforest 

Good news from Colombia, where deforestation fell by 36% in 2023 – its lowest level in 23 years, with most gains being made in the Amazon rainforest, according to government figures.

In total, deforestation fell from 1,235sq km in 2022 to 792sq km last year. It is the second successive sharp decrease in deforestation, and it means tree loss fell by 54% between 2021 and 2023, well above the national target of 20%.

This comes after Colombian president Gustavo Petro launched an ambitious strategy in 2022 to fight deforestation by working with indigenous groups to improve economic conditions in 22 deforestation hotspots.

The government also increased surveillance to stop logging and limited agribusiness expansion into the forest, as well as creating reserves where indigenous communities could harvest rubber, acai and other non-timber forest products.

Key to this is paying farmers to protect the land and speaking to armed groups who are the de facto authority in deforestation hotspots. 

To keep up the momentum, the government has also called on rich nations to cancel foreign debt in order to help the country in its fight against deforestation. 

Colombia, the world’s second most biodiverse nation, after neighbouring Brazil, is due to host the Cop16 biodiversity conference in Cali from 21 October – 1 November this year. 

Susana Muhamad, Colombian environment minister, said: “

[2024]

is a truly iconic year in this fight against deforestation.” 

Muhamad stated that Colombia is “committed to the development of a solid forestry economy that contributes to the goals of zero net emissions.”

According to Rodrigo Botero, director general of advocacy group the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS), this drop decrease in deforestation is also tied loosely to FARC guerrillas who forbid deforestation in several regions of Colombia. 

Colombia has a poor history of deforestation, which reached an all-time high after a peace deal with the FARC in 2016 left a power vacuum. 

In 2020, the country lost 171,000 hectares of forest, an area twice the size of New York City, which accounted for 2.6% of global deforestation.  

Muhamad explained that there is a “direct association” between peace and the outcome of deforestation. 

However, as recently as July 2024, peace talks have broken down, with the Central General Staff (EMC), an armed group that controls vast areas of the rainforest, reneging on a deal to ban logging. 

Angelica Rojas, a liaison officer for the Guaviare department at the FCDS, said this is likely to be reflected in deforestation figures as the EMC has “been limiting access of state officials into the forests and pressuring local communities to cut down trees.” 

Written by

Louise Frohlich

Louise joined The Eco Experts as Editorial Assistant in April 2004. She is a talented artist who has a keen interest in solutions that lead to a more environmentally-friendly future.

Louise graduated from the University of Winchester in 2022 and went on to write for The Eco Experts sister site, Expert Reviews. She has taken part in charity expeditions to Ecuador and Uganda to help build water pipes, promote environmental cleanup initiatives and implement sustainable farming techniques. She now uses her knowledge to help readers make more eco-friendly choices.

Alongside her passion for the environment she enjoys theatre, portraiture and Egyptology.

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Reviewed By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express. In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International. He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment. Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa. As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals. His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive. Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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