The Global Forest Watch (GFW) has highlighted the alarming rate at which Ghana’s rainforest is being lost.

The report revealed that there was a 60% increase in Ghana’s primary rainforest loss in 2018 compared to 2017.

The increase rate – 60% - is the highest in the world, and more than twice the rainforest loss of next country in line.

Côte d’Ivoire is the country with the second highest rainforest loss in the world, with a 28% increase.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo lost the largest size of tropical primary rainforest in Africa.

On the worldwide level, 3.6 million hectares of primary rainforest was lost last year.

The research was conducted using updated remote sensing and satellite data from the University of Maryland.

The World Resources Institute, which leads the GFW project, said rainforests can “store more carbon than other forests and are irreplaceable when it comes to sustaining biodiversity.”

The rapid loss of rainforest in Ghana has led to timber processors in the country contemplating the importation of lumber from South American countries.

Meanwhile, the government of Ghana has agreed a $2 billion deal with China to mine bauxite on the Atewa Forest Reserve.