Most Cambodia & Laos tree cover loss in 2024 happened inside protected areas – Mongabay

Report on 2024 Tree Cover Loss in the Mekong Region and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of 2024 satellite data reveals significant tree cover loss across the Mekong region, with alarming rates recorded within designated protected areas in Cambodia and Laos. This trend poses a direct and substantial threat to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The findings underscore a critical gap between conservation policy and effective enforcement, undermining national and global efforts towards sustainable development.

Key Findings: Regional Overview

Data from the Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) laboratory, in partnership with Global Forest Watch, indicates a severe regression in forest conservation efforts across the Mekong region, which comprises Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Total tree cover loss in the region for 2024 reached 991,801 hectares.
• This loss includes nearly 220,000 hectares of primary forest, which are critical for biodiversity and climate regulation, directly impacting targets under SDG 15.
• The scale of this deforestation severely compromises progress on SDG 13 by reducing vital carbon sinks.

Country-Specific Analysis and SDG Implications

Cambodia: Protected Areas Under Threat

Despite expanding its protected area network by 1.1 million hectares in mid-2023, Cambodia experienced extensive forest loss within these supposedly safeguarded zones, highlighting challenges related to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

1. Scale of Loss: The nation lost 93,000 hectares of tree cover in 2024.
2. Protected Area Encroachment: A total of 56% of this loss occurred inside the country’s protected area network, representing a failure to uphold commitments under SDG 15.2 (promote sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation) and SDG 15.5 (halt the loss of biodiversity).
3. Drivers of Deforestation:
   • Infrastructure projects, such as a high-voltage transmission line in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, contributed to a loss of 9,346 hectares.
   • Agricultural expansion, including rubber and cashew plantations, is linked to the clearance of 7,268 hectares in Beng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, pointing to unsustainable production patterns that conflict with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
   • Allegations of government-sanctioned deforestation in high-value conservation forests suggest institutional weaknesses that undermine SDG 16.6 (develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions).

Laos: High Deforestation Rates Jeopardize SDG Progress

Laos recorded one of the highest deforestation rates in the region, with the majority of tree cover loss occurring within protected lands, indicating a severe setback for SDG 15.

1. Scale of Loss: Total tree cover loss exceeded 351,000 hectares in 2024.
2. Failure of Protection Mechanisms: An estimated 223,493 hectares, or 64% of the total loss, was recorded within protected areas. This demonstrates a critical failure to protect terrestrial ecosystems as mandated by SDG 15.
3. Drivers of Deforestation:
   • Land concessions for foreign investment and the expansion of banana and durian plantations have encroached on biodiversity protection forests, undermining both SDG 15 and SDG 12.
   • The construction of a 1,460-megawatt hydroelectric dam contributed to the loss of nearly 40,000 hectares in Luang Prabang province, a UNESCO World Heritage site, directly conflicting with SDG 11.4 (protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The article’s central theme is the significant loss of tree cover and primary forests in Cambodia and Laos. This directly relates to SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and sustainably manage forests. The data on deforestation, particularly within wildlife sanctuaries like Prey Lang and Beng Per, highlights the degradation of natural habitats and the threat to biodiversity, which are core concerns of this goal.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The article implies a failure of governance and institutional effectiveness. The fact that 56% of Cambodia’s and 64% of Laos’s tree cover loss occurred within protected areas suggests a lack of enforcement and accountability. The mention of “regime cronies targeting high value conservation forests, with the blessing and protection of the higher echelons in the government” points directly to issues of corruption and weak institutions, which SDG 16 aims to address.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Targets under SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests. The article demonstrates a failure to meet this target by reporting massive tree cover loss (991,801 hectares across the Mekong region) and destruction within protected areas.
   • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The article’s data on continued, large-scale deforestation in Cambodia and Laos, including the loss of nearly 220,000 hectares of primary forest in the region, shows a direct contradiction to the goal of halting deforestation.
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The clearing of land in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary and Beng Per Wildlife Sanctuary for infrastructure and plantations is a clear example of the degradation of natural habitats and a direct threat to biodiversity.

2. Targets under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article highlights institutional failure, noting that despite Cambodia expanding its protected areas, authorities have been unable to enforce protections. The activist’s quote about “regime cronies” operating with government blessing suggests a lack of accountability and transparency in the management of natural resources.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Indicator 15.1.1 (Forest area as a proportion of total land area): The article provides direct quantitative data that can be used for this indicator. It specifies the total hectares of tree cover loss for the Mekong region (991,801 ha), Cambodia (93,000 ha), and Laos (351,000 ha) in 2024. This data measures the change in forest area.
   • Indicator related to the effectiveness of protected areas (Implied from Target 15.1): The article provides a crucial, specific metric: the percentage of tree cover loss that occurred inside protected areas. The figures of “56% of the nation’s tree cover loss was recorded within its protected area network” for Cambodia and “64%” for Laos serve as direct indicators of the ineffectiveness of conservation efforts in these designated zones.
   • Indicator 15.2.1 (Progress towards sustainable forest management): The high rates of deforestation, especially the loss of “nearly 220,000 hectares (544,000 acres) of primary forest” in the Mekong region, serve as a negative indicator, showing a lack of progress towards sustainable forest management.

2. Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

   • Indicator related to institutional effectiveness (Implied from Target 16.6): While not a formal UN indicator, the article’s evidence of deforestation within legally protected areas acts as a strong proxy indicator for the lack of institutional effectiveness and enforcement capacity. The statement that “civil society groups raised concerns over the authorities’ ability to enforce protections over the expanded area, and the latest data seem to back them up” directly links the deforestation data to institutional performance.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.mongabay.com