Colombia claims that in 2024 the country achieved the second-lowest deforestation figure in its history: 113,608 hectares. A report from the Ministry of Environment highlighted that the data shows a three-year consecutive reduction in deforestation, surpassing the target set in the National Development Plan.
Although these figures have sparked controversy among opposition sectors—who, without providing evidence, claim they are manipulated—the government of President Petro maintains that these advances reflect real progress in curbing forest loss in the country.
In this regard, the Ministry of Environment’s report points out that, compared to the 2021 baseline, deforestation in 2022 dropped by 29%; in 2023, the reduction reached 54%; and in 2024, it stood at 34%, the lowest in 24 years.
Colombia claims deforestation has decreased during the three years of the Petro administration
The fight against deforestation is one of the cornerstone strategies of the Colombian government’s climate change agenda. While there is ongoing controversy over the actual deforestation figures—since the opposition argues, for now without proof, that the real number is higher than the government’s— the Ministry of Environment asserts that during the 2022–2024 period, a cumulative reduction of 39% was achieved compared to the 2021 baseline (174,103 hectares), significantly exceeding the 20% reduction goal set in the National Development Plan.
The largest deforestation reductions last year were reported in the regions of Antioquia, Casanare, Arauca, Guainía, Norte de Santander, and La Guajira.
In her annual report on the fight against deforestation, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Lena Estrada Añokazi emphasized that “these figures represent the work and commitment this government has shown in preserving forests and biodiversity.”
The Environment Minister was accompanied by the director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), Ghisliane Echeverry, who pointed out that President Gustavo Petro’s administration has succeeded in reducing deforestation “to levels far below those of previous administrations.”
For those in charge of the Colombian government’s environmental policy, these results “demonstrate the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Deforestation Containment Plan, which is based on working with communities in the Forest and Biodiversity Development Zones, the ‘Conserving Pays’ program, criminal investigations, institutional strengthening in the territories, and the deployment of the Public Force with strong and decisive actions.”
SOS for the Amazon
Despite the encouraging figures, the head of the Ministry of Environment stated that, although this Government has committed to the fight against deforestation, “it is important to say that all the efforts made have not been enough because deforestation persists.”
In this regard, Estrada issued an SOS for the Colombian Amazon to preserve the connectivity of ecosystems—an effort that is not solely the responsibility of the State, but of all sectors of civil society.
“I call on the entire society to start forming committees for life. We are quite concerned because the most affected territory is the Amazon—a fragile region where vulnerable populations also live,” the minister affirmed.
In that context, she explained that there is a particular impact on the Amazonian Arc, which means that “we are losing the connectivity between the Andean and Amazonian systems.”
This was confirmed by Edersson Cabrera, coordinator of the Forest and Carbon Monitoring System at Ideam, who emphasized that the 2024 quarterly detection reports showed an increase in deforestation in the Amazonian Arc.
That year, an increase in deforestation was recorded in Caquetá (25,263 hectares); Guaviare (16,908 hectares); Putumayo (5,443 hectares); and Meta (21,107 hectares)—four key departments for forest conservation in Colombia.
According to the Ministry’s report, the main direct causes of deforestation were unsustainable extensive cattle ranching, unplanned development of transportation infrastructure, illicit crop cultivation, illegal logging, illegal mining, and the expansion of the agricultural frontier into prohibited areas.
2025 Amazon Summit in Colombia
This month, Colombia will host the 5th Summit of Presidents of the States Parties to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT), scheduled for August 22 in the nation’s capital. Despite delays in attendance confirmations, the event is expected to bring together the leaders of the eight Amazonian countries around a shared agenda of protection, restoration, and sustainable development for the planet’s most biodiverse biome.
As a prelude, from July 24 to August 6, the Virtual Regional Amazon Dialogues are taking place, with more than one hundred Indigenous delegates, civil society representatives, academics, and ACTO authorities who have defined environmental priorities and strategies. Additionally, from August 19 to 21, an in-person meeting will be held in Bogotá with civil society, local communities, and technical delegations to provide key inputs to the presidents.
The summit will culminate in an agenda aiming to adopt a joint declaration with concrete plans to conserve at least 80% of the Amazon, halt illegal deforestation, combat transnational environmental crimes, and promote transparent and participatory financial mechanisms through 2030.
As the host country, Colombia is leading the push for participatory and inclusive governance that recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities, with the support of ACTO and in line with the global climate approach leading up to COP30 in Brazil.