Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon forest decreased by 68% in April

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 May 2023 07:54
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The Amazon lost about 126.92 square miles (326.1 square kilometers) to deforestation in April - a considerable improvement given that the month prior recorded a loss of 175.9 square miles to deforestation.

Batches of the Amazon forest emptied by illegal loggers, seen from above on July 2022. (Reuters)

Brazil reported the largest-ever decrease in deforestation in the Amazon forest on Friday, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

This marks the largest decrease since Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva assumed the presidency earlier this year.

According to the agency, the Amazon lost about 126.92 square miles (326.1 square kilometers) to deforestation in April - a considerable improvement given that the month prior recorded a loss of 175.9 square miles to deforestation.

The decline since January has been consistent, the INPE states, noting that deforestation decreased by 40% compared to the same timeframe last year.

Since Lula assumed the Presidency in January, he vowed to address the pervasive issue of heightened deforestation that bloomed during former President Jair Bolsonaro's mandate.

In the span of four years, Boslonaro was responsible for the loss of over 13,135 square miles of deforestation, while in the last month before his tenure ended, deforestation increased by 150%.

Not only did he cut down government expenses on the environment, but he also laid off environmental experts at the expense of securing the interests of agricultural businesses.

As soon as Lula ascended to the presidency, he vowed to turn Brazil into a "green superpower," and put an end to deforestation as well as the degradation of biomes.

He further restored public expenditures on the Amazon and gathered funds from several global powers, including Germany and Norway who were both joined by the US and the UK to pledge a $100 million fund to combat the Amazon's deforestation.

Despite data showing downward trends of deforestation in the Amazon forest, data on the deforestation of the Cerrado, Brazil's second-largest biome, shows an increase.

Between January and April, the deforestation of the Cerrado biome between the month of January and April increased by 14.5% compared to the same timeframe last year - the highest in the past half-decade.