Colombia
MAAP #224: Illegal Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon – Chiribiquete National Park & Llanos del Yarí – Yaguará II Indigenous Reserve
Graph 1. Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon, 2013-2024. Data: IDEAM, UMD/GFW
The Colombian Environment Ministry recently announced that, after the country experienced its lowest deforestation in over 20 years in 2023, forest clearing rose 35% in 2024 (Graph 1). In addition, the Ministry reported an increase in medium-sized clearing, indicating relatively organized and funded operations (Note 1).
Over the past 10 years, 60% of the national deforestation has occurred in the Colombian Amazon. As Graph 1 indicates, there was a large increase in 2017 following the peace accords with the guerrilla group FARC, and a subsequent decrease in 2022 and 2023 (Note 2). Initial estimates indicate an increase for 2024 (Note 3). Overall, there have been nearly 1,200,000 hectares of deforestation across the Colombian Amazon over the past 10 years.
Much of the clearing in the Colombian Amazon is likely illegal (Law of 2021), occurring in national protected areas and Indigenous reserves.
Base Map: Focal area of the report. Data: ACA/MAAP, FCDS.
Here, we highlight recent 2024-25 deforestation in two key areas in the core of the Colombian Amazon: Chiribiquete National Park (Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete) and the adjacent Llanos del Yarí – Yaguará II Indigenous Reserve (Resguardo Indígena Llanos del Yarí – Yaguará II). See the Base Map for additional context.
These areas are affected by several deforestation pressures, such as the expansion of road infrastructure, extensive livestock farming, pasture expansion, land grabbing, and illicit crops (coca). These pressures often interact, with access roads facilitating livestock farming and pasture expansion, which then facilitates land grabbing.
These drivers have led to the deforestation of over 7,100 hectares in Chiribiquete National Park since its most recent expansion in 2018 (see Annex 1).
Most recently, we estimate the deforestation of 525 hectares in Chiribiquete National Park (concentrated in the northern sector) during 2024-25, plus an additional 856 hectares in Llanos del Yarí – Yaguará II Indigenous Reserve. Note that most of the deforestation follows access roads.
Below, we illustrate the key cases of recent deforestation in both areas, highlighting the role of access roads as facilitators of illegal clearing. These case studies feature satellite images and overflight photos.
Any deforestation in these areas is noteworthy not only due to its impacts on primary forests, biodiversity, and Indigenous groups, but also on carbon reserves. In an upcoming report, we reveal that Chiribiquete National Park is one of the Amazon’s most important and significant carbon sinks.
This report was conducted in collaboration with our Colombian partner Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo Sostenible – FCDS), and with financial support from the Overbrook Foundation.
Illegal Deforestation Cases
Zoom 1. Chiribiquete National Park. Data: ACA/MAAP, FCDS.
Chiribiquete National Park: Sector el Camuya
Zoom 1 shows the deforestation of 198 hectares during 2024 and early 2025 (indicated by red circles), along the Tunia-Ajaju road in the northwest sector of Chiribiquete National Park.
This road extends 45.3 kilometers into the park.
Photo 1A. Data: FCDS.
In January 2025, FCDS conducted a low-altitude overflight over this sector (see Photos 1A-C).
These photos bring an added level of spatial resolution and perspective, providing greater insight into the cause of the recent deforestation.
Photo 1A highlights deforestation associated with the opening of access roads in the park.
Photo 1B. Data: FCDS.
Photos 1B-C illustrate more clearly the fresh deforestation for expansion of the agricultural frontier.
Photo 1C. Data: FCDS.
Zoom 2. Chiribiquete National Park. Data: ACA/MAAP, FCDS.
Chiribiquete National Park: Sector El Palmar
Zoom 2 shows the deforestation of 179 hectares during 2024 and early 2025 (indicated by red circles), along the Cachicamo-Tunia road in the northern sector of Chiribiquete National Park.
This road extends 21 kilometers inside the park.
Zoom 3. Chiribiquete National Park. Data: ACA/MAAP, FCDS.
Chiribiquete National Park: Sector Norte
Zoom 3 shows the deforestation of 148 hectares during 2024 and early 2025 (indicated by red circles) along or near new access roads in the northeast sector of Chiribiquete National Park.
We estimate the construction of 15.2 kilometers inside the park during this period (also indicated by red circles).
Zoom 4. Yarí – Yaguará II Indigenous Reserve. Data: ACA/MAAP, FCDS.
Yarí – Yaguará II Indigenous Reserve
Zoom 4 shows the major deforestation of 1,070 hectares during 2024 and early 2025 along or near a new illegal road in the northern part of Yarí – Yaguará II Indigenous Reserve.
This road extends 22 kilometers inside the reserve.
Photo 4D. Data: FCDS.
In January 2025, FCDS conducted a low-altitude overflight over this area, confirming and documenting the new patches of deforestation (see Photos 4D-E).
As noted above, these photos bring an added level of spatial resolution and perspective, providing greater insight into the cause of the recent deforestation.
Both Photos 4D-E indicate the expansion of livestock agricultural activities.
Photo 4E. Data: FCDS.
Policy Implications
The recent deforestation in protected areas and Indigenous territories described above highlights the shortcomings of several current policies of the State of Colombia, which have failed to stem the expansion of cattle ranching and illicit crops as a first step towards land grabbing and permanent deforestation. Several steps could be taken to overcome that failure:
- Improved coordination between public entities concerned with law enforcement against drivers of deforestation, shortening investigation processes and leading to more effective and comprehensive responses.
- The inclusion of targets for the reduction of deforestation and the mitigation of impacts on natural forests in agreements for the cessation of hostilities and the de-escalation of the conflict between the national government and armed groups.
- Monitoring and regulation of public investments for the expansion of livestock farming by local and national governments, to reduce public incentives for deforestation.
Annex 1.
Annex 1. Data: FCDS
Notes
1 Griffin, O (2025) Colombia deforestation rose 35% in 2024, minister says
2 Based on data from Colombia’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales – IDEAM), a government agency of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
3 Based on data from the University of Maryland/Global Forest Watch.
Acknowledgments
This report was conducted in collaboration with our Colombian partner Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo Sostenible – FCDS), and with financial support from the Overbrook Foundation.
MAAP #211: Illegal roads and Deforestation in Indigenous Reserves & National Parks of the Colombian Amazon
Illegal roads are a major threat to the Colombian Amazon, often opening remote primary forests to the main drivers of deforestation: cattle pastures, land grabbing and coca production.
Base Map. Illegal roads causing recent deforestation. Data: MAAP/ACA, FCDS.
These illegal roads threaten protected areas (including national parks) and indigenous territories (known as Resguardos in Colombia).
In 2024, in collaboration with our Colombian partner FCDS, we have documented these impacts in two important areas in the heart of the Colombian Amazon: the Llanos del Yari-Yaguara II Indigenous Reserve and the adjacent Chiribiquete National Park (see Base Map).
Most notably, in the Llanos del Yari-Yaguara II Indigenous Reserve, we see the construction of a new road, causing massive deforestation of primary forests, both within and adjacent to the territory (856 hectares, or 2,115 acres, in total).
In Chiribiquete National Park, we see the expansion of deforestation of 64 hectares (158 acres) along an illegal road penetrating the northwest sector of this important protected area.
Below, we show satellite images for both cases.
Llanos del Yari- Yaguara II Indigenous Reserve
Since March 2023, a new 14-kilometer illegal road has been built in this area, of which 5.3 km is within the northeastern sector of the Llanos del Yari- Yaguara II Indigenous Reserve, located in the department of Guaviare. Figures 1 and 2 show that this construction has caused massive deforestation: 856 hectares (2,115 acres), of which 394 hectares are within the Reserve, between February 2023 (left panel) and March 2024 (right panel). This deforestation is presumably for new cattle pasture, facilitated by the new road. Note that Figure 1 shows the satellite images without markings, while Figure 2 adds markings for the illegal road construction and associated deforestation.
Figure 1. Deforestation along the new illegal road in the Llanos del Yari- Yaguara II Indigenous Reserve, without markings. Data: Planet, NICFI.
Figure 2. Deforestation along the new illegal road in the Llanos del Yari- Yaguara II Indigenous Reserve, with markings. Data: Planet, NICFI.
Chiribiquete National Park
In the adjacent northwest sector of Chiribiquete National Park, deforestation continues to expand along an existing illegal road, known as the Tunia-Ajaju road, located in the department of Caquetá. Figures 3-6 show the deforestation of 64 hectares (56 hectares in zone B and 8 hectares in zone C) along this road inside the national park, between March 2023 (left panel) and March 2024 (panel right). This deforestation is presumably for new cattle pastures, facilitated by the road. Note that Figures 3 and 5 show the satellite images without markings, while Figures 4 and 6 add markings for the illegal road construction and associated deforestation.
Figure 3. Deforestation along the new illegal road in Chiribiquete National Park (zone B), without markings. Data: Planet, NICFI.
Figure 4. Deforestation along the new illegal road in Chiribiquete National Park (zone B), with markings. Data: Planet, NICFI.
Figure 5. Deforestation along the new illegal road in Chiribiquete National Park (zone C), without markings. Data: Planet, NICFI.
Figure 6. Deforestation along the new illegal road in Chiribiquete National Park (zone C), with markings. Data: Planet, NICFI.
Citation
Finer M, Ariñez A (2024) Illegal roads and Deforestation in Indigenous Reserves & National Parks of the Colombian Amazon. MAAP: 211.
MAAP #200: State of the Amazon in 2023
The first MAAP report, published in March 2015, took a detailed look at the escalating gold mining deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon.
Figure 1. Most recent cloud-free view of the entire Amazon biome (2023, quarter 3). Data: Planet, NICFI, ACA/MAAP.
The following 198 reports, over the past 8.5 years, continued to examine the most urgent deforestation-related issues across the Amazon.
For our 200th report, we provide our rapid assessment of the current state of the Amazon.
Overall, the situation is dire, with the Amazon nearing two critical deforestation-induced tipping points. The first is the widely feared conversion of moist rainforests to drier savannahs, due to decreased moisture recycling across the Amazon (see MAAP #164). The second is the more newly feared conversion of the Amazon as a critical carbon sink buffering global climate change, to a carbon source fueling it (see MAAP #144).
There is cause for hope, however. It is possible in the long term to protect the core Amazon, as nearly half is now designated as protected areas and indigenous territories, both of which have much lower deforestation rates than surrounding areas (see MAAP #183). Also, new NASA data reveals the Amazon is still home to abundant carbon reserves in these core areas (see MAAP #160 and MAAP #199).
Also on the positive news front, we recently reported a major reduction (over one-half) in primary forest loss between the current year 2023 and last year 2022 across the Amazon, especially in Brazil and Colombia (MAAP #201).
Much is made about Amazon fires in the media, but over the past several years we have revealed that the vast majority of major fires across the Amazon (namely, in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia) are actually burning recently deforested areas (MAAP #168). It is only during intense dry seasons that some of these fires escape and become actual forest fires.
Figure 1 shows the most recent cloud-free view of the entire Amazon biome. On the positive, one can clearly see the core Amazon still stands. On the negative, however, the expanding deforestation around the edges is evident.
Major Deforestation Fronts – 2023
In this section, we review the current major deforestation fronts across the Amazon.
Figure 2 indicates these fronts (insets A-H) in relation to deforestation hotspot data over the past 8 years during MAAP’s active monitoring timeframe (2015-2022). Below we describe each deforestation area, by country. Common drivers across numerous Amazon countries include roads (MAAP #157), agriculture (MAAP #161), cattle, and gold mining (MAAP #178).
Also note that further below, in the Annex, we show the relative order of total Amazon primary forest loss by country over the past two years: Brazil by far the highest, followed by a middle pack of Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia, followed by lower levels in Venezuela, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana.
Figure 2. Amazon forest loss hotspots, 2015-2022. Data: UMD, Planet/NICFI, ACA/MAAP.
Brazilian Amazon
Figure 3. Major forest loss hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: UMD, Planet/NICFI, ACA/MAAP.
Brazil continues to be, by far, the leading source of Amazonian deforestation (MAAP #187), led by three major drivers: cattle pasture expansion near roads, soy plantations, and gold mining.
Deforestation for new cattle pasture is concentrated along the extensive road networks spanning the eastern and southern Brazilian Amazon (for example, Inset A).
Deforestation for expanding soy plantations is concentrated in the southeast Brazilian Amazon (Inset B; see MAAP #161).
Gold mining deforestation impacts numerous sites, including several indigenous territories (for example, Inset C; see MAAP #178).
Bolivian Amazon
Figure 4. Major forest loss hotspots in the Bolivian Amazon. Data: UMD, Planet/NICFI, ACA/MAAP.
Bolivia has emerged as the clear second-leading source of Amazonian deforestation, with a major increasing trend over the past two years (MAAP #187).
The deforestation is concentrated in the soy frontier located in the southeast (Inset D, see MAAP #179).
Note that, increasingly, this soy deforestation is carried out by Mennonite colonies (MAAP #180). We revealed that Mennonites caused the deforestation of over 210,000 hectares since 2001, including 33,000 hectares since 2017.
Peruvian Amazon
Figure 5. Major forest loss hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon. Data: UMD, Planet/NICFI, ACA/MAAP.
Peru is the third-leading source of Amazonian deforestation (MAAP #187).
In the central Amazon, we have been highlighting the rapid deforestation for new Mennonite colonies (see MAAP #188). MAAP reports revealed, in real-time, Mennonite deforestation growing from zero in 2016, to 3,400 hectares in 2021, to 4,800 hectares in 2022, to 7,032 hectares in 2023.
In the southern Amazon, gold mining deforestation continues to be a major cause of deforestation, primarily in indigenous communities, protected area buffer zones, and within the official Mining Corridor (MAAP #185). Most recently, we showed that gold mining has caused the deforestation on nearly 24,000 hectares between just 2021 and 2023 (MAAP #195).
Colombian Amazon
Figure 6. Major forest loss hotspots in the Colombian Amazon. Data: UMD, Planet/NICFI, ACA/MAAP.
Colombia is the fourth-leading source of Amazonian deforestation.
Deforestation in Colombia spiked following the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC guerilla group (MAAP #120), but was the only country with a notable deforestation decrease in 2022 (MAAP #187).
Forest loss is concentrated in an “arc of deforestation” surrounding numerous Protected Areas (such as Chiribiquete, Tinigua, and Macarena National Parks) and Indigenous Reserves.
In Colombia, the major direct deforestation driver is cattle pasture, but this expansion is largely caused by land grabbing as a critical indirect driver. Coca plantations also continue to be an important direct driver in certain remote areas.
Both cattle and coca are impacting protected areas, especially Tinigua and Chiribiquete National Parks (cattle); and Macrarena National Park and Nukak National Nature Reserve (coca).
Ecuadorian Amazon
Figure 7. Major forest loss hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Data: UMD, Planet/NICFI, ACA/MAAP, RAISG.
Although accounting for just 1% of total loss across the Amazon, deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon was the highest on record in 2022 (18,902 hectares), up a striking 80% since 2021.
There are several deforestation hotspots caused by gold mining (see MAAP #182), oil palm plantation expansion, and small-scale agriculture.
Venezuelan Amazon
There is a deforestation hotspot caused by gold mining in Yapacana National Park (see MAAP #173, MAAP #156, MAAP #169).
Annex: Amazon Primary Forest Loss (By Country), 2021-2022
Acknowledgments
We deeply thank the following funders for supporting MAAP over the past 10 years:
International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC)
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
MacArthur Foundation
Andes Amazon Fund (AAF)
Wyss Foundation
Erol Foundation
Global Forest Watch/World Resources Institute
Overbrook Foundation
Global Conservation
We also thank our key data providers:
Planet (optical satellite imagery)
University of Maryland (automated forest loss alerts)
Global Forest Watch (portal featuring integrated forest loss alerts)
NICFI monthly mosaics
CLASlite (our original forest loss detection tool)
Citation
Finer M, Mamani N, Novoa S, Ariñez A (2023) State of the Amazon in 2023. MAAP: 200.
MAAP Colombia: Chiribiquete – Deforestation Hotspots in the Colombian Amazon, part 3
MAAP #86: Deforestation Hotspots in the Colombian Amazon, part 3: Chiribiquete-Macarena
We present our third report* in a series investigating deforestation hotspots in the Colombian Amazon. Here, we focus on the “Chiribiquete-Macarena” hotspot, located between the Chiribiquete and La Macarena National Parks.
The Colombian government is finalizing plans to expand the boundaries of Chiribiquete National Park, an important step for conservation. However, we show (with high-resolution images) that deforestation is surging in the area and rapidly expanding towards these new boundaries. In fact, in 2018, deforestation has entered the newly expanded park.
MAAP #86: Deforestation Hotspots in the Colombian Amazon, part 3: Chiribiquete-Macarena
https://www.maapprogram.org/chiribiquete/
*The first report focused on the “Caguan” hotspot in the department of Caquetá. The second report focused on the “La Paya” hotspot in the department of Putumayo.
