Africa's forests are now releasing carbon, not absorbing it
A new study just revealed that since 2010, Africa's forests have switched from soaking up carbon to actually releasing it. The main culprits? Deforestation and forest degradation.
Scientists tracked forest changes across the continent using satellites and machine learning between 2007 and 2017, with the main losses occurring from 2010 to 2017.
Massive forest loss—think millions of cars' worth
Every year from 2010 to 2017, Africa lost about 106 billion kilograms of forest biomass—the same weight as around 106 million cars.
The hardest-hit spots were rainforests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and West Africa, mostly due to deforestation and forest degradation.
Shrub growth can't make up for lost forests
Researchers found that even though some savanna shrubs grew back in cleared areas, they couldn't replace what was lost.
This is bad news for climate goals—Africa's forests used to help fight climate change but are now making things worse.
Why this matters globally
With Africa's forests now adding carbon to the atmosphere instead of removing it, hitting global climate targets just got harder.
There's a push—including a new international fund—to ramp up efforts protecting these vital forests before things get even trickier for our planet.