For the first time in four years, the Brazilian Amazon saw deforestation of less than 10,000 square kilometers in one year.
The National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) announced that approximately 9,000 square kilometers of forests were lost between August 2022 and July 2023. This corresponds to a decrease of 22.3 percent compared to the same period last year, which covered almost 11,600 square kilometers.
Lowest value since 2019
This value also marks the lowest level since 2019. The Brazilian Amazon stretches across nine Brazilian states and is comparable in size to the area of Western Europe. As an important CO2 store, it plays a crucial role in the international fight against climate change.
After four years, Germany recently resumed aid payments for a fund to protect the Amazon rainforest. This so-called Amazon Fund was launched in 2008, but was recently frozen due to disagreements over how the money was spent under the government of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.
For the right-wing populist, the Amazon region mainly represented untapped economic potential. During his term (2019-2022), deforestation and slash-and-burn practices have increased sharply. He largely gave farmers and gold seekers a free hand in confiscating land. He cut funding for the control authorities or took away their powers.
In October, the Amazon region was hit hard by a drought (see video above). This is caused by factors such as global warming and deforestation, leading to record low river levels and devastating forest fires.
Source: Krone
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