Peru lost 3.7 million hectares of natural vegetation since 1985

Data from MapBiomas Perú reveals that the country has lost 3.7 million hectares of natural vegetation between 1985 and 2025. During this 41-year period, land dedicated to agriculture, mining, and urban expansion increased by 4.3 million hectares, representing a 53% rise.

The Amazon region suffered the most significant absolute loss, with 3.2 million hectares of natural vegetation disappearing. While approximately 94% of the Amazonian forests from 1985 remain, the remaining 6% has been transformed. Mining saw the most dramatic relative growth, increasing by 2,510% nationwide, with its expansion in the Amazon multiplying by 190 times.

Other notable environmental changes include:

• Agriculture: Land use for agro-activities increased by 50%, reaching 11.7 million hectares in 2025. • Urbanization: Urban surfaces grew by 168%, an increase of 244,000 hectares, with significant expansion in the coastal desert. • Andes: Natural vegetation decreased by 273,000 hectares, and glacier surface area shrank by 111,000 hectares, a 54% reduction since 1985. • Coastal Desert: Natural vegetation-free areas were reduced by 271,600 hectares, a 35% loss of its surface.