Deforestation in the Amazon

The world’s largest tropical forest is under threat — our Amazon is disappearing.

Every year, deforestation in the Amazon increases, threatening critical ecosystems and our own future.

The Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Program of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change conducts annual satellite monitoring of forest loss in the Amazon (PRODES) through the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

Through this survey it has been possible to track the rate of deforestation in the region each year.

Forecast data for 2023 were released today (9) and show a 22.3% reduction in Amazon deforestation. Although lower, the numbers remain alarming.

Overview

Below is an overview of current deforestation in the Amazon, its causes, and main impacts. Continue reading!

From August 2022 to July 2023, the area of Amazon analyzed by the system lost 9,001 km² of forest — equivalent to 7.5 times the size of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Besides being the lowest rate since 2019, this figure represents a reduction compared with 2022’s result of 11,594 km².

The dramatic increase in deforestation alerts recorded during the last five months of the Bolsonaro government and the first three months of the Lula administration is a relief and good news for the forest and for the world.

“The new government had difficulties getting started in the region, but since April regulatory agencies’ more rigorous actions and the resumption of public policies have intensified,” said Greenpeace Brazil spokesperson Rômulo Batista.

Despite the good news, Brazil is still not on track to meet the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) targets agreed with the United Nations to reduce emissions by 48% by 2025 and 53% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.

What are the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon?

The Amazon plays a vital role in combating climate change. However, it is very close to a point of no return, where the biome can no longer recover as a tropical forest.

Accelerated deforestation driven by cattle ranching, soy cultivation, mining, illegal logging, and the occupation of public lands has threatened the balance of animals, plants, indigenous peoples, and ecosystems across the planet.

Between 2019 and 2020, Brazil’s Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) investigated just 1.3% of deforestation alerts published by the MapBiomas platform in the Amazon.

These figures reflect the weakening of environmental protection policies in Brazil and open the door to further crimes.

One emblematic record of impunity for criminals in the Amazon rainforest became known as the “Day of Fire.” The incident occurred in 2019 over two days, when the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) detected 1,457 fire hotspots in the state of Pará — an increase of 1,923% compared with the same period the previous year.

A year after the event, Greenpeace investigated the burned areas in the field.

They found places where forests had been completely destroyed, others converted into pasture due to deforestation, and areas being used for cattle ranching.

Although the “Day of Fire” received wide international media coverage, little was done to punish the perpetrators.

Conclusion

Only 5% of the 207 properties that recorded fires on those two days were fined.

“The government looked the other way, showing once again the impunity of those who commit environmental crimes,” said Rômulo Batista, Greenpeace Brazil spokesperson.

Land grabbing — the illegal occupation of public lands for private gain — has contributed significantly to the climate crisis and social inequality in the Amazon.

Land traffickers, farmers, politicians, and agricultural speculators are often the main land grabbers.

These criminals use illegal methods, increasing violence to invade, seize, clear, and eventually occupy public lands, including indigenous territories, protected areas, and undesignated public lands, which are then sold for profit.

Land grabbing not only contributes to the destruction of the Amazon and sensitive ecosystems, it also violates the fundamental rights and cultural integrity of indigenous peoples and traditional communities. Key consequences of this phenomenon include increased deforestation, loss of the Amazon and fragile ecosystems, land concentration, rural violence, and the denial of basic rights to indigenous peoples and traditional communities.

The persistence of the problem stems from gaps in Brazil’s land-control system: an abundance of undesignated public lands, lack of transparency in records, and weak property registration all add complexity to the issue.

To effectively combat land usurpation, it is necessary to implement effective sanctions against perpetrators and to invest heavily in land agencies such as INCRA and in robust monitoring.

This integrated approach enables more efficient and equitable management of public lands, holding perpetrators accountable and strengthening control and regulatory structures.

Information source: Greenpeace

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