Deforestation in Amazon forest grew 32% in July

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon grew 32% in July, compared to June, with 1,486 square kilometres of native vegetation destroyed, the largest loss of forest recorded since January this year, according to the Brazilian government.

Despite the fact that deforestation in July remained practically stable compared to that of the same month last year (-0.7%), the area lost between August 2021 and July this year, the reference period for the measurement of annual devastation in Brazil, was 8,590 square kilometres.

The data correspond to the deforestation measurement carried out monthly by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) based on the analysis of satellite images. Despite being an estimate, the figure already shows that the deforestation of the jungle will be at the average of the last three years, although the official data will not be known until November when a more sophisticated system (Prodes) discloses the official rate.

The figures have set off alarm bells again, since last year 8,780 square kilometres of vegetation were destroyed, according to Deter, while Prodes calculated that the destruction of the forest was 12,415 square kilometres.

“Between January and July, there were about 5,470 square kilometres , which shows that deforestation has stabilized at fairly high rates in this biome” in recent years, Mari Napolitano, scientific manager of the World Wildlife Forum (WWF).

The devastation of the Brazilian Amazon has grown considerably in the last four years, a fact attributed to the lack of controls and supervision by the Government of Jair Bolsonaro to curb illegal mining, illegal timber trade and irregular fishing.

Bolsonaro defends the exploitation of the natural resources of the Amazon, even in indigenous reservations where it is prohibited by law, and since he came to power in 2019, the rates of devastation in the jungle have increased considerably.

In 2018, a year before the far-right leader assumed the Presidency, 7,536 kilometres of the jungle were razed, 34% less than in 2019, 44% less than in 2020 and practically half of what was registered in 2021 (13,038 square kilometres).

The largest tropical forest on the planet concentrates 72% of Brazil’s mining extraction – mostly illegal – and 99% of the wood sold by the country is illegally extracted from this region.

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