The world lost 12 million hectares of tropical rainforest last year – an area the size of North Korea and the equivalent of 30 football pitches every minute, according to a new report.

“It’s death by a thousand cuts,” said Frances Seymour, senior fellow at the US-based World Resources Institute (WRI), which led the research based on an analysis of satellite imagery.

“The health of the planet is at stake and band aid responses are not enough. The world’s forests are now in the emergency room.”

The global destruction of tree cover includes around 3.6 million hectares of primary rainforest – older, untouched trees that absorb more carbon and are harder to replace – covering an area the size of Belgium.

Brazil lost the most tropical primary rainforest in 2018, at 1.3 million hectares, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo with 481,248 hectares.

Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Show all 12 1 /12 Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park “The Stadium,” one of the most impressive geological formations of the Serranía de Chiribiquete. Colombian Amazon Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Forest burns due to the colonisation front near the northern border of Chiribiquete National Park, Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Grandpa Marcelieno and his son, of the indigenous Araracuara people, with sacred plants from the region: mambe and ambil. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Cattle ranching at the agricultural frontier near the northern border of the Chiribiquete National Park Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Oil palm monoculture, Puerto Concordia on the Ariari River, Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Preparation of traditional sugarcane-based beverage by the indigenous Barasano people of Pacoa, on the Apaporis River, near the southeastern border of Chiribiquete National Park Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Tapir in the community of Buenos Aires, Apaporis River. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park (Left) Pictograms over 20.000 years old found on stone in the Chiribiquete National Natural Park FCDS Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park The main “maloca” of the Mutanacua indigenous community of Pacoa, on the Apaporis River, near the southeastern border of Chiribiquete National Park. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park “Vigilant Grandfather,” one of the Chiribiquete National Park’s representative “tepuyes.” Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Aerial view of one of the park's waterfalls FCDS Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Ajajú River, Chiribiquete National Park. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez

The Global Forest Watch report suggested that most of Brazil’s loss last year was down to “cutting in the Amazon” by illegal loggers and militias, which threatened the survival of nearby “uncontacted” indigenous tribes.

It came as Brazil’s federal police revealed they had uncovered a scheme to illegally harvest timber in the Amazon region. The criminal conspiracy is said to involve state environmental agency officers and forest engineers.

The greatest increase in deforestation compared to 2017 came in Ghana, with a 60 per cent increase mostly blamed on illegal mining and the expansion of cocoa farms.

“Forests are our greatest defence against climate change and biodiversity loss, but deforestation is getting worse,” said John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK.

“Bold action is needed to tackle this global crisis including restoring lost forests. But unless we stop them being destroyed in the first place, we’re just chasing our tail.”

However there was some improvement in Indonesia, where government policies on protected forests appeared to have resulted in tree cover losses dropping to their lowest rate since 2003.

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Much of the deforestation in that country is blamed on land clearance for oil-palm plantations.

Last year’s total loss of 12 million hectares was the fourth-highest since records began in 2001 but was lower than 2016 and 2017 when losses peaked largely due to forest fires.