In what many hope is the start of a positive trend, Brazil’s government released preliminary data indicating that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is down a whopping 68% since April 2022. The results also represent the first significant drop to occur under President Luiz Inácio (“Lula”) da Silva since coming to power last year.
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research revealed that deforestation has dropped to 321 square kilometers, down from the previous April’s historical average of 898 sq km.
During Lula’s previous administration, deforestation declined 75%.
The achievement is significant for two reasons. Firstly, it signals the start of a recovery in the face of challenges laid by former leader Jair Bolsonaro – namely the defunding of environmental agencies and promotion of large-scale farming and mining operations that further threaten the rainforest. It is also bucks the trend of the last two months, which actually saw higher levels of deforestation.
Read more at the link, which also features additional mind-blowing stats that illustrate the vast quantities of rainforest that are being cleared each month.
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@ Reuters
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon falls 68% in April, first major drop under Lula
