According to official figures released on Friday, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by half last year, a success for President Lula, who had promised to take decisive action against the phenomenon.
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However, the opposite is happening in the Cerrado savanna south of the Amazon rainforest: according to the government's deforestation monitoring program, destruction there has reached a new annual record, with an increase of 43% compared to 2022.
In total, 5,152 km2 of forest was destroyed in the Brazilian Amazon last year, 50% less than in 2022. The world's largest tropical forest plays a crucial role in the fight against global warming by absorbing carbon emissions.
At the same time, the Cerrado, an ecosystem full of immense biodiversity and closely linked to the Amazon, lost more than 7,800 km2 of vegetation last year, the highest since measurements began in 2018.
“We saw some big environmental victories in 2023. The significant reduction in deforestation in the Amazon is one of them,” replied Mariana Napolitano from the NGO WWF-Brazil.
“But unfortunately we are not seeing the same trend in the Cerrado,” she added, citing the “attacks” on this ecosystem and the “services” it offers.
Environmental groups accuse the government of left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of ignoring the destruction of the Cerrado, much less well-known worldwide than the Amazon, to please the powerful agricultural sector. Brazilian trade.
Amazon and Cerrado data updated through December 29th.
In total, 12,980 km2 were destroyed in the two regions in 2023, 18% less than in 2022.
After his narrow victory over far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro in 2022, Lula returned to the country's leadership on January 1, 2023, promising that Brazil was “back” as a partner in the fight for the climate.
During the term of Mr. Bolsonaro (2019-2022), an agribusiness ally, annual deforestation in the Amazon increased by an average of 75% compared to the previous decade.
Experts say the destruction in the Amazon and Cerrado is largely due to livestock and intensive agriculture in Brazil, the world leader in beef and soy exports.