Data from Brazil’s space agency indicates a nearly 50% decrease in the rate of deforestation in the Amazon in 2023 compared to the preceding year.
Brazil’s environment ministry reported that this marks the lowest recorded deforestation rate in the past five years, albeit the deforested area still surpasses the size of New York City by over sixfold.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, upon assuming office a year ago, pledged to halt deforestation by 2030.
Preliminary figures from the national space agency, Inpe, indicate that 5,153 sq km (1,989.6 sq miles) of the Amazon were cleared in 2023, down from 10,278 sq km in 2022.
President Lula reiterated his commitment to Amazon restoration and the pursuit of environmental offenders during his address at the COP27 climate summit in 2022.
Under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, rainforest destruction surged to a 12-year high.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Brazil’s environment ministry hailed this progress as the inaugural step toward achieving its zero deforestation objective, affirming the government’s steadfastness in combating illegal practices in the Amazon.
The environment ministry attributed the decline in deforestation rates to heightened inspection efforts by the environmental watchdog, Ibama.
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva underscored that the reduced rate reflects Ibama’s ongoing conservation efforts in the rainforest.
The Amazon assumes critical significance in the global battle against climate change, often dubbed “the lungs of the planet” due to its pivotal role in oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles. It harbours approximately three million plant and animal species and one million indigenous inhabitants, with about 60% situated within Brazil.
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