Spatiotemporal patterns of global tropical forest loss before and after 2015 and its implications for mitigation, biodiversity conservation and disaster risk reduction

Tropical forests provide a multitude of ecosystem services, such as maintaining global biodiversity by providing habitats for countless species. They also play a pivotal role in climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon and serving as carbon sinks, while also aiding adaptation efforts through nature-based solutions. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of tropical forest loss and its implications for both ecosystems and human communities is essential for guiding effective conservation and sustainable development strategies. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasizes the urgent need to halt deforestation and reduce the degradation of natural habitats. Similarly, the Paris Agreement highlights the importance of conserving and enhancing sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases, including forests. Approximately a decade has passed since the adoption of these significant global initiatives in 2015, prompting questions about whether there has been a change in the trend of global tropical forest loss. To address this issue, this study examines the spatiotemporal patterns of global tropical forest loss before and after 2015 using publicly available, spatially explicit data. It investigates whether tropical forest loss has slowed down or accelerated and whether it has been moving away from or toward areas with high potential for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and disaster (landslide) risk reduction.