Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon hits the worst level in a decade – according to the Imazon report deforestation in the rainforest grew by 29% in 2021. In 2020, the level of deforestation in the rainforest had already hit one of the largest levels since 2012, with 8,096 km² of forest destroyed.
The Brazilian rainforest represents a third of the world’s tropical forest and helps to maintain the global climate balance through one of the largest carbon stores. Its destruction can have serious consequences in climate change, impacting directly to the human beings quality of life.
According to the non-governmental organisation “the annual negative record is extremely serious in the face of the consequences of this destruction”, despite the fact that there was a 49% reduction in deforestation in December 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year. In 2020, 276 km² had been deforested in the region, an area that was reduced to 140 km² in 2021.
Among the serious consequences “are the change in the rainfall regime, the loss of biodiversity, the threat to the survival of traditional peoples and communities and the intensification of global warming”, points out Imazon.
Ipam Amazonia argues that the advance of deforestation in the Amazon became more evident after the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro, elected in 2018, through the weakening of inspection bodies, lack of punishment for environmental crimes and a significant reduction of immediate actions to combat and control of illegal activities in the region.
In the Amazon, more than half of deforestation in the last three years took place on public lands (51%), with 83% of these public lands belonging to the federal government. Deforestation in indigenous lands grew 153% in the comparison of the last three years with the previous three years.
