Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 66 percent in July

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon region decreased to almost one-third last month compared to its levels in July 2022, according to official data released on Thursday by the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

This decline holds special significance, as July is typically one of the worst months for forest destruction during the peak of the dry season in the world's largest tropical rainforest.

Satellite data from the DETER system, part of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), indicates that 500 square kilometers of forest were cleared in the Amazon region, the lowest level since 2017. This reflects a 66 percent decrease compared to the 1,487 square kilometers cleared in July 2022, the last year of Jair Bolsonaro's presidency.

Leftist successor Lula, who previously ruled the country from 2003 to 2010, began his third presidential term in January, making the preservation of the Amazon a top priority and vowing to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030.

Environment Minister Marina Silva stated on Thursday, "We have entered a virtuous cycle, and those who commit environmental crimes are no longer confident of evading punishment, as they will think twice before taking any action."

Taking into account the first seven months of Lula's presidency this year, deforestation has decreased by 42.5 percent compared to the same period last year under Bolsonaro's presidency.

During the reference period from August to July, which experts focus on for an annual analysis as it starts at the turning point in the dry season, the decrease is 7 percent compared to the previous 12 months.

These figures were announced a week before a summit to be held in Belem, in northern Brazil, gathering representatives of the eight member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Mariana Napolitano, from the Brazilian office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), stated in a statement, "The decrease in deforestation in the Amazon in July is an important sign of taking control of the situation."

On the other hand, the numbers reflect a more alarming reality for Cerrado, the highly biodiverse savannah in southern Amazon.

This region witnessed the clearance of 612 square kilometers of forests last month, representing a 26 percent increase compared to July 2022.

Some specialists fear that focusing efforts on the Amazon region may shift environmental crimes to Cerrado, where deforestation reached 6,359 square kilometers over the past 12 months, the highest level since 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP