The causes of deforestation are primarily linked to human activities and can be summarized as follows:
- Agricultural Expansion: The main driver of deforestation globally, responsible for at least 50% of forest loss. This includes clearing forests for crop cultivation (such as oil palm, soybean) and livestock grazing, which accounts for nearly 40% of deforestation. Both large-scale commercial agriculture and subsistence farming contribute to this cause.
- Urbanization and Infrastructure Development: The expansion of cities, construction, and road building lead to forest clearing. This accounts for over 6% of global deforestation and is the leading cause in some regions such as Europe.
- Over-exploitation of Wood Resources: Logging for timber, fuelwood, and charcoal, whether legal or illegal, contributes significantly to forest degradation and deforestation.
- Mining and Extraction of Natural Resources: Clearing forests for mining minerals, fossil fuels, and other natural resources has a notable impact on forest loss.
- Climate Change: Extreme weather events like fires, droughts, and floods triggered by climate change also damage forests, which in turn contributes to the climate crisis by reducing carbon capture.
- Economic and Policy Factors: State policies promoting economic development, subsidies for agriculture, and global market demands for timber and agricultural products further push deforestation.
These causes often interact synergistically—road building, for example, facilitates logging, which then leads to farming and more forest clearing. Agriculture remains the dominant driver across tropical regions, while economic globalization influences demand worldwide, affecting forested areas in developing countries most severely.
