Bolivia has been grappling with a significant loss of tree cover over the past two decades, with the latest incident being a wildfire in the Alto Paraguay Department, Paraguay region. The country's tree cover extent, which stands at over 64 million hectares, has experienced a net loss of approximately 3.30 million hectares, marking a 5.60% decrease in tree cover stability.
Shifting agriculture has been the predominant driver of tree cover loss, accounting for a substantial portion of the total deforestation. In 2022 alone, shifting agriculture was responsible for over 26% of the total tree cover loss. Forestry activities and wildfires have also contributed to the decline, with the latter showing an alarming increase in recent years.
Explore country profileThe impact of these losses is not only ecological but also significantly affects carbon emissions, with millions of metric tons of CO2 equivalent released into the atmosphere. The trend of tree cover loss in Bolivia underscores the urgent need for strategies to mitigate these incidents and preserve the country's rich biodiversity.
