Based on satellite images, it is estimated that 5,152 square kilometers of forest in the Amazon region were destroyed last year, a 50 percent decrease compared to 2022. The world’s largest rainforest plays an important role in climate change, because trees absorb a large amount of Carbon dioxide gas. Too much carbon dioxide.
‘Highlight’
“We saw a number of important environmental victories in 2023. The significant reduction in deforestation in the Amazon was one of the highlights,” said Mariana Napolitano of the Brazilian branch of WWF.
One year ago, world leaders’ pledge to end deforestation by 2030 seemed out of sight. In 2022, at least 6.6 million hectares of forest will be lost worldwide, an increase of 4 percent compared to the previous year.
Most deforestation has occurred in tropical rainforests, including the Amazon.
Destruction of the savanna area
The fact that deforestation is declining in the Amazon is positive news for the climate. But it turns out that in a tropical forest and a lesser-known savanna area, called the Cerrado, a lot of plants have been lost. In this region of central-western Brazil, more than 7,800 square kilometers were lost last year. This is the largest area since monitoring began in 2018.
Environmental groups accuse President Lula’s government of turning a blind eye to the destruction of the lesser-known Cerrado region. They will do this to accommodate the powerful agricultural industry. According to experts, the devastation in the Amazon and Cerrado region is mainly due to agriculture.
“Back to the fight against climate change”
After Lula defeated the far-right Jair Bolsonaro in the elections, he returned as president on January 1, 2023. He pledged that “Brazil is back” as a partner in fighting climate change and promoting environmental policies. Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, received a lot of international criticism because deforestation increased sharply under his leadership.
We explain exactly how Lula wants to fight deforestation in the video below:
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