The Amazon rainforest has lost an area roughly equivalent to the size of Germany and France combined over the past four decades, driving severe drought and record wildfires across South America, experts warned on Monday.
The Amazon, which spans nine countries and is vital for absorbing carbon dioxide, has seen 12.5% of its forest cover vanish between 1985 and 2023, primarily due to deforestation for mining and agriculture. This represents 88 million hectares (880,000 sq km) of forest lost in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, according to a report by the RAISG, a network of researchers and NGOs.
“Large ecosystems have been replaced by pastures, soybean fields, or transformed into craters for gold mining,” said RAISG experts. The loss of the rainforest, once a critical carbon sink, has instead led to massive releases of carbon dioxide, exacerbating climate change.
Sandra Rio Caceres, a researcher with the Peruvian Institute of the Common Good, emphasized the direct link between the loss of vegetation in the Amazon and the severe droughts and wildfires sweeping through South America. “The destruction of the forest disrupts ecosystems that regulate the climate and hydrological cycles, causing rising temperatures,” she said.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reported that fires in the Amazon and the Pantanal wetlands this year are the worst in nearly two decades. The World Weather Attribution network of scientists attributed the increased frequency and severity of these fires to climate change, warning that they are releasing “massive amounts” of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Clair Barnes, a researcher from Imperial College London, highlighted how prolonged heat and low rainfall have turned these ecosystems into tinderboxes. “As long as fossil fuels are burned, the risk of devastating wildfires will continue to rise,” she said.
The drought has led to Amazon rivers reaching their lowest levels in decades, affecting the livelihoods of 47 million people. Fires are also raging uncontrollably across Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and other countries.
Ecuador is facing its worst drought in six decades, causing energy shortages and prompting rolling blackouts. In Brazil, smoke from the wildfires has darkened skies over cities such as Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, and has spread to Argentina and Uruguay.
Amnesty International urged South American leaders to take urgent action to mitigate climate change, transition away from fossil fuels, and protect Indigenous lands. While countries like Brazil have made some progress, others, such as Argentina under President Javier Milei, have seen drastic cuts to environmental budgets and staffing.