SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest fell from a year earlier in January, satellite data showed on Friday, in the first release of monthly data under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Preliminary satellite data collected by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) showed 167 square kilometers deforested in the region last month, a drop of 61% compared to January 2022, which had the worst mark for the month in eight years.
In mid-January, environmental agents launched their first actions against logging under the command of Lula, who promised to end the increasing destruction of the forest, registered in the government of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
Deforestation in January was also below the historical average of 196 square kilometers for the month since 2016, although the January data may have been especially influenced by the heavy clouds over the forest earlier in the year.
“The observation of a significant drop in deforestation data for January 2023 (especially in the Amazon) compared to the same period last year is positive,” explains Daniel Silva, Conservation Specialist at WWF-Brazil.
“However, it is still early to talk about a trend reversal, as part of this drop may be related to greater cloud cover in the period. The Deter system uses satellite images with optical sensors that can be affected by the occurrence of clouds. Therefore, we will need to be attentive to the data for the coming months,” he added.
He noted that the January data represented the first year-on-year decline in five months.
The new numbers come after Reuters exclusively reported on Thursday that the United States is considering its first contribution to the Amazon Fund, an initiative aimed at fighting deforestation in the rainforest, with a possible announcement during President Joe Biden’s meeting. with Lula at the White House this Friday.
The Amazon Fund, which is administered by Brazil and supported mainly by Norway and Germany, was reactivated by Environment Minister Marina Silva on the day she took office last month after being frozen since 2019 under the Bolsonaro government. .
Even with a positive start to the year, experts and IBAMA officials warn that it could take years for Lula to meet conservation goals after Bolsonaro cut funding and staff at key agencies.
The government is also fighting illegal mining on Yanomami lands, the country’s largest indigenous reserve, amid a humanitarian crisis that has left thousands of indigenous people starving and sick due to the harmful effects of mining activity.
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo)
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