Deforestation in Colombia appears to be falling again in 2025, marking a potential continuation of the country’s recent progress in slowing forest loss. New government data indicate that forest clearing declined significantly during the first three quarters of the year, with notable reductions in departments that have long been deforestation hotspots, including Meta, Caquetá and Guaviare.
According to figures released by IDEAM, an estimated 36,280 hectares of forest were lost between January and September 2025. This represents a 25 per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2024, when deforestation reached approximately 48,500 hectares. Data for the final quarter of the year is still being processed, but officials say the trend so far is encouraging.
Colombia has roughly 60 million hectares of forest, covering more than half of its land area. These forests include large sections of the Amazon Rainforest as well as savanna ecosystems such as the Orinoquía. For decades, these regions have faced pressure from cattle ranching, agricultural expansion, illicit coca cultivation and land grabbing, making sustained reductions in deforestation difficult to achieve.
Environmental authorities attribute the decline in forest loss to increased cooperation between the government and local communities. In a December statement, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development said the reduction reflects joint efforts focused on ecological restoration, voluntary conservation agreements, forest management and the strengthening of sustainable rural livelihoods.
Several of the departments that historically recorded the highest levels of deforestation also showed the sharpest declines in 2025. Meta, Caquetá and Guaviare together accounted for more than half of Colombia’s total forest loss this year, yet collectively recorded nearly 13,000 hectares less deforestation than in 2024. Putumayo was the only department to register an increase, with an additional 1,569 hectares of forest loss.
Satellite analysis conducted by IDEAM, using imagery from NASA’s Landsat program, the European Union’s Sentinel satellites and high-resolution data from private firm Planet, identified illegal land grabbing, coca cultivation and informal road construction as major drivers of deforestation. These activities have often encroached on protected areas such as the Nukak-Makú Indigenous Reserve in Guaviare and Sierra de La Macarena National Park in Meta.
Coca cultivation has continued to rise since President Gustavo Petro took office in 2022, sparking debate about its impact on forest conservation. While some experts argue that coca expansion worsens deforestation by spreading into primary forests, others say the government’s shift away from forced eradication toward voluntary crop substitution has reduced the incentive for farmers to clear new land.
“The crops aren’t expanding, but they are being replanted,” said Luis Alfonso Ortega Fernandez, protected areas coordinator at the Ecohabitats Foundation, a Colombian conservation organisation. He added that periods of lower deforestation should be used strategically to strengthen long-term protection measures and reduce future threats.
Colombia has recorded consecutive annual declines in deforestation in recent years, including a 54 per cent drop in 2023 and a 34 per cent reduction in 2024. To achieve another year-on-year decline in 2025, deforestation in the final quarter must remain below approximately 24,000 hectares, according to IDEAM estimates.
Officials credit the government’s 2023–2026 Comprehensive Deforestation Containment Plan for much of the progress. The plan emphasises collaboration with Indigenous communities, environmental zoning in rural areas and the promotion of alternative livelihoods such as ecotourism. It also includes financial incentives for conservation through the Conservar Paga programme, which provides monthly payments of up to $240 to more than 5,500 families who commit to protecting or restoring forested land.
Despite the positive trend, conservation groups caution against viewing deforestation figures as the sole indicator of environmental health. Ortega Fernandez noted that illegal mining, which is expanding as gold prices rise, causes severe forest damage while also polluting water and soil. He also pointed to the lack of formal land titles for millions of Colombians, which complicates efforts to monitor land-use change and enforce environmental regulations.
“It’s not only deforestation,” he said, stressing the need for broader indicators to assess environmental risk.
While challenges remain, the latest data suggest Colombia may be building momentum toward more durable forest protection, provided community-based conservation efforts and enforcement mechanisms continue to strengthen in the years ahead.