Lula fails to reverse Amazon deforestation: in March +14%

Last month, 356 km2 of rainforest disappeared

(sustainabilityenvironment.com) – Another record month for the deforestation of the Amazon. In March, 356 km2 of rainforest disappeared, 14% more than in the same month of 2022. An area twice the size of Milan. Despite the arrival at the presidency of Lula, who promised to overturn all Bolsonaro’s policies on the management of Amazonia, Cerrado and Pantanal, the numbers show a situation still in line with what characterized the mandate of the former president of the extreme right.

“The data shows a complex scenario in the face of the weakening of controls in the region and the discourse of recent years that has favored illegality”, explains AFP Mariana Napolitano of the Brazilian branch of the WWF. “Although the current government has shown the intention to seriously combat deforestation, it will take time to change the scenario”.

This year there will be no real improvement in Amazon deforestation

A few steps forward, however contained, but there is. In the first quarter of 2023, the total data of INPE, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research that performs satellite surveys, fix deforestation in the Amazon at 844 km2. It is still a very high number, to be precise the 2° year old worst result ever. But still 10% less than in 2022 (941 km2).

In any case it is difficult that this year will already see positive results. Brazil measures the Amazon deforestation season from August to July. The last 4 months of Bolsonaro will therefore still affect the performance of 2023. And in the 8 months of this last year (August 2022 – March 2023) so far the account marks +39%. But that’s not all.

“This increase in numbers reveals that the Amazon still suffers from a huge lack of governance and that the new government must act urgently to rebuild its ability to repress environmental crimes, which had been completely destroyed by the last government” comments Marcio Astrini, head of the Climate Observatory, a network of about 50 local environmental NGOs.