Deforestation rates have increased progressively in Bolivia’s protected areas since the mid-1970s. The country’s main drivers of deforestation are the expansion of large-scale soy bean and other industrial crops, slash-and-burn practices, forest fires, infrastructure development and mining. One of Bolivia’s main underlying drivers of deforestation is the low price of land that has attracted foreign investments directly into the agricultural sector.

About 35% of Guatemala’s total surface area is covered in forests, down considerably from 50% in 1950. Over this time, forests have been cleared primarily for agricultural use, livestock production, and urban settlements. Forest fires, pests and diseases, and illegal wood extraction are also some of Guatemala’s direct drivers of deforestation.

Chile has an extensive and complex native forest resource that covers 14 million hectares or 23% of the country’s surface area. Direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Chile include fuelwood production, the expansion of livestock and agricultural activities, urban expansion, and forest fires.

Costa Rica’s tropical rainforests, which are rich in biodiversity, cover close to 30% of the country’s total surface area. Although conservation continues to be among the country’s top priorities, decreasing forest areas and strong pressures on land use pose a threat to the country’s forests and biodiversity.

Forests in Honduras cover approximately 5.8 million ha, which accounts for just over half of the country’s total land area. Deforestation rates have been difficult to evaluate since there has been no continuous and reliable forest monitoring in the country to date. Well-known drivers of deforestation in Honduras include the expansion of agricultural and livestock activities, as well as forest fires and shifting cultivation. 

Although deforestation rates have decreased in recent years, deforestation and forest degradation remain the main causes of natural capital loss in Mexico. The driving forces behind forest loss vary from region to region, ranging from extensive livestock farming to the expansion of traditional agricultural practices and cash crops. 

In recent decades, deforestation and forest degradation has accelerated dramatically in Argentina, due to the expansion of soybean crops, among other large-scale commercial agricultural activities. The country’s increasing demand for agrofuels is also contributing to its deforestation problem. At the institutional level, Argentina’s forest policy and governance have been ineffective in mitigating these trends.