Amazon deforestation rate hits highest level in over a decade
- by Carmen Reese
- in Science
- — Nov 22, 2019
The scale of the Amazon fires received global attention, however, worldwide concerns were countered by the Brazilian government who claimed that the fires were normal and below the historical average.
A report by a Brazilian government agency says the rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is at its highest in more than a decade.
Disputes over the government's environmental policies have also erupted between Bolsonaro and other world leaders, some of whom - including French President Emmanuel Macron - offered Brazil at least $22 million to help fight the wildfires.
"President Bolsonaro's anti-environmental agenda favours those who practice environmental crimes, and encourages violence against forest people", Cristiane Mazzetti of Greenpeace said in a statement released Monday. The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest in the world and is considered key in the fight against climate change due to the amounts of Carbon dioxide it absorbs. The Bolsonaro regime was accused of dismantling the environment protection laws that led to an increase in deforestation.
Brazil's Climate Observatory, a network of non-governmental organizations, said the 2019 increase in deforestation was the fastest in percentage terms since the 1990s and the third fastest of all-time.
Based on the satellite images, the researchers found that in July 2019, the fires were nearly four times the average from the same period in the previous three years and were also the highest number since 2010.
The ministry is due to meet with the governors in the Amazon region on Thursday to discuss ways to combat the issue.
All options are on the table, according to Salles, including mobilizing the military for use in environmental enforcement operations.
At multiple press briefings earlier this year, Salles alleged the monthly data was unreliable and contained inconsistencies.
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has in the past questioned the accuracy of data provided by Inpe.
The data collected by the Satellite revealed that 9,762 square kilometres (3,770 square miles) were cleared of trees, which was the highest since 2008.
NGOs say they fear that protections could be weakened further as the government considers allowing commercial agriculture on native reserves, expanding wildcat mining and allowing for illegally occupied land to be "regularized".
