Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached 904 km2 in October, a record for this month of the year, according to official data released on Friday.
The DETER satellite observation system, in use since 2015, detected a 3% increase in deforested area in the largest rainforest on the planet compared to October 2021. The data was recorded by the National Institute of for space research (INPE).
In just ten months, the year 2022 is already the worst in this statistical series for deforestation in the Amazon, with 9,494 km2 of vegetation wiped off the map, beating the record of 9,178 km2 for the whole of 2021. The Brazilian antenna of the NGO WWF pointed out in a statement that deforestation and fires had "exploded" in the Amazon since the result of the presidential election.
“Race to devastation”
On October 30, Jair Bolsonaro, accused by environmentalists of favoring the destruction of the Amazon, was beaten by a short head by the left-wing ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), who is committed to fighting for zero deforestation.
"The increase in deforestation (in October) was expected, but the preliminary data for the first days of November are frightening, it's a real frantic race for devastation" before the change of government, deplores WWF.
Under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, average annual deforestation has increased by 75% compared to the previous decade.
"The new government will have a lot of work to put the country back on track, to put an end to a perception that the Amazon is a lawless land," said WWF's Raul do Valle, quoted in the NGO's statement. .
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