Maya Jungle Loses 144,000 Hectares in 2024—Why?

Mexico — The Maya Jungle is disappearing at a devastating rate. In 2024 alone, the Yucatán Peninsula lost 144,200 hectares of forest, accounting for nearly half of all deforestation recorded in Mexico that year, according to data from Global Forest Watch. On the occasion of the International Day for the Preservation of Tropical Forests, Greenpeace issued an urgent call to action: immediate measures are needed to protect Mexico’s largest tropical forest before it is too late.

What Is Driving the Deforestation of the Maya Jungle?

Greenpeace has documented that deforestation is being driven by:

• Agribusiness: The clearing of vast tracts of land for monocultures such as soy, African palm, and sugarcane, as well as the expansion of pastures for extensive livestock farming. Additionally, the construction of pig and poultry farms generates significant waste and polluting emissions.
• Mass tourism: The development of large-scale tourist complexes, which demand enormous volumes of resources like water and produce improperly managed waste.
• Urban sprawl: The illegal expansion of residential and urban areas.
• Infrastructure projects: Roads, ports, and railways that require vegetation removal and disrupt ecological dynamics.
• Mega pig and poultry farms: Large-scale meat production facilities that have collectively deforested over 11,000 hectares of jungle.

Shocking Deforestation Figures in the Yucatán Peninsula

• Daily loss: 395 hectares of forest cover were lost every day in the Yucatán Peninsula.
• Hourly loss: Equivalent to 16 hectares per hour, or the area of 21 Azteca Stadiums every hour.

Breakdown by state:

• Campeche: 74,600 hectares deforested (35,000 of primary forests).
• Quintana Roo: 49,600 hectares deforested (16,000 of primary forests).
• Yucatán: 20,000 hectares deforested.

Consequences of Deforestation

The destruction of the Maya Jungle has severe impacts, including:

• Loss of biodiversity.
• Displacement of communities and loss of livelihoods.
• Depletion and pollution of water sources.
• Greenhouse gas emissions that intensify climate change.

Current Efforts and What Remains to Be Done

While the federal government has announced an ecological restoration program—with goals to restore 25,000 hectares of forest by 2025 and 73,000 hectares by 2030—these efforts are insufficient to offset the scale of deforestation.

Urgent Actions Needed:

1. Halt land-use change permits: The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources must stop granting permits for infrastructure mega-projects, gravel extraction, mass tourism, urban expansion, and mega pig and poultry farms.
2. Prohibit vegetation removal permits: State governments must refrain from authorizing projects involving deforestation that could harm the environment.
3. Prosecute illegal land-use changes: Crack down on those clearing and burning forests for monocultures and livestock.
4. Strengthen community initiatives: Support beekeeping, traditional milpa farming, and community forest management, as local communities play a key role in conservation efforts.

Greenpeace urges the public to join the demand to stop the deforestation of the Maya Jungle by signing their petition.