A third of this tree loss lies at the feet of Brazil with its worst loss in 13 years, spikes from fires withstanding. In Australia the total tree loss saw a sixfold increase - this can be mostly assigned to the devastating wildfires observed in the country in late 2019. An article on the response of Australian politician's to the crisis can be found here.
11.9 million hectares of global tree cover was lost, with 32% of this coming from primary forest areas, holding the older trees. This is an increase from the previous year and saw 2019 ranked as the third-highest loss of primary trees since the turn of the millennium.
There is hope, however, given that both Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo reported a reduction in tree loss. Indonesia has in fact seen its tree loss remain at historically low levels for the third year consecutively.
Laws and legislation in Indonesia have fueled this turn around, with increased enforcement to prevent forest fires and a temporary prohibition on land clearing for new plantations and logging activities.
The loss of forests, a major issue for climate activists and animal conservationists alike, must be addressed - the solutions to the problem already exist, and have been demonstrated to work. What it requires, much like every other issue related to climate change, is a strong government willing to take action.
