Deforestation in the Amazon fell significantly by 50% last year, 2023, reaching the lowest level of devastation since 2018, but increased in other Brazilian biomes, mainly in the Cerrado. This second biome, the second most important in Brazil, saw a 43% increase in destruction caused by illegal invaders such as miners, fishermen, loggers and predatory ranchers.
According to INPE, the National Institute for Space Research, which published data this Friday for the calendar year (January to December) 2023, 5,151.6 km2 of green space was destroyed in the Amazon last year, a decrease of 50%. % compared to the previous year, 2022. The significant reduction in devastation in the legal Amazon, which makes up 59% of Brazil’s territory, comes after record deforestation recorded in 2022, when more than 10,200 km2 of green space was destroyed by direct human action.
The state of Pará saw the most forest destruction in 2023, with a total of 1,903 km2 of green space destroyed. In second place was another state that suffered greatly from the actions of invaders of all types, Mato Grosso, which lost 1,408 km2, and in third place among the champions in destruction was Amazonas with 894 km2.
In the Cerrado, where illegal invaders and environmental criminals of all kinds have begun to move in over the past two years as they find little oversight and vast areas without any protection, the area of green space cleared last year reached 7,828 km2, which is the largest of the history of this biome. In this biome, the state that favored deforestation last year was Maranhão with 1,765 km2, followed by Bahia with 1,727 km2 and Tocantins with 1,604 km2.
Author: Domingos Grilo Serrinha This correspondent in Brazil
Source: CM Jornal
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