Deforestation alerts in Brazilian Amazon decline for second month in a row

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell in August for the second consecutive month but remains at high levels, according to alerts recorded by the National Institute of Space Research (Inpe).

Inpe counted 918 square kilometers of deforestation last month, the lowest level since August 2018 and 32% lower than the same period last year.

Deforestation alerts between January and August this year reached 6,026 square kilometers, a slight decrease of 1.2% compared to the first eight months of 2020 (6,099 square kilometers).

The data are obtained with satellite images, but, as the government agency admits, they do not constitute the official balance on deforestation, which is disclosed at the end of the year, but identify possible risk points.

According to Inpe, they indicate a trend and serve to alert environmental prosecutors where to focus their efforts in the fight to protect the biome, which is threatened by deforestation and fires.

Despite the slight drop in deforestation alerts in the year-to-date, the numbers are almost double those recorded in the same period of 2018, before President Jair Bolsonaro came to power.

The still high numbers are attributed by environmental organizations to the “omissions” of the leader of the Brazilian far-right.

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