The Aporia · Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged

Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged

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France-Presse, A. (2026, October 14). Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3370826/global-deforestation-fell-2025-congo-basin-losses-surged?utm_source=rss_feed

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Quick Summary

In 2025, global deforestation decreased by 15 percent compared to the previous year, with seven million hectares of forest lost worldwide. However, this positive trend was overshadowed by an increase in deforestation rates specifically in the Congo Basin and concerns over the upcoming super El Niño event expected to worsen conditions. The report, compiled by a coalition of research groups and NGOs, highlights that while the reduction is promising, it may not be sustainable given current challenges and forecasts for future environmental impacts.

Written by AI on 2026-10-14, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Global deforestation slowed in 2025 with seven million hectares of forest lost, roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland, marking a 15% decrease from the previous year. However, this improvement is unlikely to continue due to worsening conditions in the Congo Basin and an intensifying El Niño weather pattern, according to a new study released on October 14, 2026. To meet the target set at the United Nations’ COP26 climate talks in 2021, deforestation would need to decrease by about one million hectares per year. The report, drafted by a coalition of research groups and NGOs, highlights that clearing forests for agriculture and mining remains the primary cause of deforestation.

Written for “Global Deforestation Trends In 2025” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

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Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

25%

1 of 4 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

South China Morning Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

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Topics

Climate Focus El Nino the Republic of Ireland

Subjects

Climate Focus ORG · 1× Erin Matson PERSON · 1× the Republic of Ireland GPE · 1×

Narrative

Worldwide destruction dropped 15 per cent, though impending super El Nino threatens 2030 targets Deforestation slowed worldwide last year, but the improvement is unlikely to last as the situation deteriorates in Central Africa and an exceptionally strong El Nino weather pattern intensifies, a new study said on Wednesday.

framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-14

2026-10-14 · South China Morning Post

Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged · mixed framing

Claims (4 extracted, 1 hedged)

Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged asserted

losses → fall → 2025

study → drop → Wednesday

Seven million hectares of forest – roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland – were permanently destroyed in 2025, a 15 per cent drop from the previous year, according to the annual Forest Declaration Assessment. The slowdown, however, is not enough to keep the world from missing a pledge to end deforestation by 2030, according to the report, which was drafted by a coalition of research groups and non-governmental organisations. uncertain

which → destroy → groups

The 2025 figure is “encouraging but so far it’s the exception, not a new trajectory”, Erin Matson, the study’s co-author and lead consultant at advisory group Climate Focus, said in a media briefing. asserted

Matson → ’ → briefing