In the Central African Republic, a recent fire incident in the Haut-Mbomou region underscores the ongoing environmental challenges the country faces. With a land area of over 62 million hectares, the country boasts a significant tree cover extent of approximately 47 million hectares. However, data over the past two decades reveals a troubling trend of tree cover loss primarily due to shifting agriculture, which accounts for the vast majority of this decline.
The cumulative impact of these losses is substantial, with over 1.20 million hectares of tree cover lost, while gains have been relatively modest at just under 483 thousand hectares. This has resulted in a net loss of approximately 728 thousand hectares, marking a negative change of around 1.32% in the country's tree cover. The environmental repercussions are evident, with millions of metric tons of CO2e gross emissions associated with this deforestation.
Explore country profileThe single fire incident reported on December 28, 2024, may seem minor in isolation, but it is indicative of the broader pattern of disturbances that the country's ecosystems are experiencing. As the Central African Republic continues to confront these environmental issues, the need for sustainable land management practices becomes increasingly apparent.
