Argentina has been facing a significant environmental challenge with a consistent loss of tree cover over the years. The latest incident in Salta Province, Argentina, with a fire alert on August 30, 2024, underscores the ongoing struggle against deforestation and natural disturbances. The country's vast area of over 278 million hectares includes a tree cover extent of approximately 39 million hectares. However, the net change in tree cover has been negative, with a 10.45% decrease, indicating a loss of over 4.66 million hectares and a gain of just over 1.10 million hectares.
The primary drivers of tree cover loss have been shifting agriculture and forestry, contributing significantly to the overall deforestation. Wildfires and urbanization have also played a role, though to a lesser extent. The data reveals that shifting agriculture alone has led to a loss of tens of thousands of hectares annually, with the highest recorded in 2012 at over 149,000 hectares. Forestry activities have similarly resulted in substantial tree cover loss, peaking in the same year.
Explore country profileThe environmental impact of these losses is considerable, with gross emissions of CO2 equivalent measuring in the millions of megagrams. The cumulative effect of these losses over the years has had a profound impact on Argentina's natural landscape and its biodiversity. The ongoing incidents of fire and other disturbances only add to the urgency of addressing tree cover loss in the country.
