Deforestation of Brazilian Amazon at Lowest Level Since 2016

When he took office in 2023, Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) promised to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Satellite survey data published this month suggests his country may be making progress on that goal.  

Researchers studied the Amazon from above. They used satellite pictures to do so. They found that the forest lost 1,700 square miles of trees between August 1, 2023, and July 30, 2024. That's roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Still, it shows progress. The figure is 46% less than the same time frame the prior year.     

It’s also a large drop from the forest loss under Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro. He supported logging, cattle ranching, and mining in the Amazon. At the height of his term in office, the region lost 5,000 square miles of forest per year.     

Scientists estimate that nearly half of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions result from cutting down trees in the Amazon. As the forest shrinks, so does its power to capture and store carbon, which contributes to global warming. That’s why Lula and others have stressed crackdowns on illegal logging. It's also why they believe that still more needs to be done to protect Brazil's forests.       

Marina Silva is Brazil’s Environment and Climate Change Minister. She told The Associated Press that "support for sustainable productive activities" is a must. She said it must be combined with "continued law enforcement." She said it's a key part of the plan. 

Reflect: How can protecting nature and the environment help make the world a better place for everyone?

Gif of light moving in forest from Giphy.