The destruction of Gran Chaco, forgotten sister of the Amazon rainforest
b'From deep inside Gran Chaco, a dry tropical forest in Argentina one and a half times the size of California, comes a wake-up call for the world\\u2019s forests. We\\u2019ve lost more than a fifth of this incredibly biodiverse region since 1985. And it\\u2019s just one of many precious carbon-trapping ecosystems being lost to unrelenting deforestation. Six months ago in Glasgow, world leaders at Cop26 pledged to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. While destruction continues apace in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, other countries such as Indonesia offer glimmers of hope. Madeleine Finlay speaks to biodiversity reporter Patrick Greenfield about what his trip to Gran Chaco showed him, what\\u2019s at stake around the world, and what\\u2019s needed to turn things around. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod'