Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil increases in March

In March alone, 356 square kilometers of rainforest was cleared in the Brazilian Amazon. This is according to preliminary figures published on Friday (local time) by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) in São José dos Campos. According to the Brazilian news portal G1, this corresponds to an increase of 14 percent compared to the same month last year. The Inpe uses satellite imagery to record deforestation and wildfires.

“The numbers tell us that there is still no government power in the Amazon,” Brazilian television quoted Marcio Astrini of the climate think tank Observatório do Clima as saying. “We’ve lost the ability to fight environmental crime, which is why we’re seeing these increasing rates of deforestation.” Deforestation was also high in the savannas in the middle of the South American country in the first three months of this year.

The Brazilian Amazon is considered an important CO2 sink, stretches across nine states and is the size of Western Europe in terms of area. After an earlier decline, deforestation and wildfires surged again during the term of right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who was voted out in October.

Environmentalists and climate activists had hoped the rate would fall under the new government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The left-wing politician was not considered green during his two previous terms in office (early 2003 – late 2010), but has now pledged to strengthen environmental and climate protection. However, according to experts such as Astrini, the measures taken so far have not yet had the desired effect. They therefore call for faster action. (sda/dpa)