Brazil: deforestation in the Amazon continues at a breakneck pace

Published on : 11/19/2021 – 8:01 AM

The green lung of the planet is choking day after day. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has increased by nearly 22% in one year, exceeding 13,000 km2, a record unmatched in 15 years which casts doubt on the declared will of the government of Jair Bolsonaro to reverse the trend through more actions. “firm”.

Between August 2020 and July 2021, deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest extended over 13,235 km2, the largest area since 2005-2006 (14,286 km2), according to data from the Forest Monitoring System. deforestation PRODES, from the National Institute of Space Research (INPE) of Brazil, published Thursday.

This is the third year in a row that deforestation has increased since the rise to power of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has come under international criticism for weakening surveillance of the Amazon biome (ecosystem) and encouraging extractive activities. in protected areas.

These figures represent “a challenge for us and we will have to be tougher in the face of environmental crimes,” Brazilian Environment Minister Joaquim Leite said at a press conference in Brasilia shortly after the document was released.

He said, however, that these data “do not accurately reflect the reality of recent months.”

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Yet, according to data released last week by the INPE, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached 877 km2 in October, a record for this month of the year for five years.

The Brazilian government says it has intensified its efforts to fight against illegal deforestation by an increased presence for three months of soldiers in the most affected areas.

Deforestation is notably attributed to illegal mining activities and cattle ranching.

“To those who persist in committing these environmental crimes, (we warn) that the Brazilian state will show its full strength in the Amazon,” Justice and Public Safety Minister Anderson Torres said.

Commitments made at COP26

Upon coming to power in 2019, thanks in part to support from the powerful agribusiness lobby, President Bolsonaro said he wanted to open up protected lands and indigenous reserves to agriculture and mining.

For the past three years, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has reached an annual average of around 10,000 km2 – the area of ​​Lebanon – against some 6,500 km2 during the previous decade.

“This result is the fruit of a persistent, planned and continuous effort to destroy environmental protection policies” under the Bolsonaro government, said in a statement Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, which brings together the main environmental NGOs and institutes active in Brazil, including WWF and Greenpeace.

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The Observatory also accused the government of having concealed the data until after COP26, since the document, published Thursday by the INPE, linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, is dated October 27, 2021. .

“The government already had the deforestation data in hand at the time of the Scotland Climate Conference and deliberately omitted it,” the NGO said.

“The information I have is that it was leaked today,” replied the Minister of the Environment.

At COP26 in Glasgow, Brazil pledged to advance two years, from 2030 to 2028, the deadline to eliminate illegal deforestation in its territory, which is home to 60% of the Amazon.

“We will certainly be firmer to reverse the numbers (of deforestation) and achieve the target that was announced at the conference,” concluded Joaquim Leite.

With AFP