Brazil reduces the deforestation rate in the Amazon by 22 percent

Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) on Wednesday unveiled consolidated data showing that deforestation in the Amazon fell by 21.8 percent between August 2022 and July 2023. Deforestation during that period reached 9,064 square kilometers, an area about 40 percent larger than the state of Delaware.

The cut announced today is similar to the 22.3 percent estimate announced in November for the same period.

Inpe operates two satellite programs that monitor deforestation, called Prodes and Deter. Prodes produces highly accurate deforestation data with higher quality images every year, while Deter provides daily alerts to support environmental and police services on the ground.

Deter data also released today shows that deforestation in the Amazon continues to decline, with a 55 percent reduction in the period from August 2023 to April 2024 compared to the previous twelve months. This was the lowest deforestation rate in the past ten years.

Deforestation also fell by 9.2 percent in the two states that form the Pantanal wetland biome.

Conversely, Cláudio Almeida, Inpe’s program coordinator, also showed data from Deter during today’s press conference that points to a rate of 27 percent. increase in deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado savannah from August 2023 to April 2024 compared to the previous twelve-month period.

Environment Minister Marina Silva said the result brings Brazil closer to its goal of zero deforestation by 2030, and that “the climate is our greatest asset.”

“We want to achieve equally positive results for the Cerrado,” she added.