Deforestation alerts in the Amazon drop by 68% in April
329 square kilometers with signs of deforestation were identified.
Deforestation alerts in the Amazon decreased by 67.9% in April of this year compared to the same month in 2022, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) released on Friday (12).
A total of 329 square kilometers with signs of deforestation were identified, the lowest rate in the past three years, according to Greenpeace. In April 2022, the alerts exceeded one thousand square kilometers, according to the organization.
In January and February 2023, the alerts totaled 489 square kilometers, according to INPE.
The states with the highest number of deforestation records in April were Amazonas, Pará, and Mato Grosso.
Experts see this data as a positive sign, but it is still too early to affirm a trend of reduction in tropical forest clearance.
Among the factors that may explain the decrease are actions taken by the federal government, such as combating illegal mining, timber exploitation, increased surveillance with fines and embargoes on areas, as well as cloud coverage.
“It is very important to have integrated work among various agencies, acting in command and control on the ground in the forest. However, it is necessary to promote technological, legal, and sublegal innovations, considering that the destruction of the forest is now operated through innovative technological means. In addition, it is necessary to directly monitor financial institutions that have direct involvement in the increase of deforestation,” highlights Rômulo Batista, spokesperson for the Amazon at Greenpeace Brazil.
The Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (Deter) by INPE provides a rapid survey of alerts indicating changes in forest cover in the Amazon since 2004, based on satellite images. Its goal is to pinpoint where deforestation is occurring in order to support enforcement agents. The size of the deforested area is measured by another system, the Legal Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Project by Satellite (Prodes), with annual disclosure.
Source: Agência Brasil.
