Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon was at its worst in February of this year. It was found that 322 square miles of forest had been cleared. This represents a 62% increase from last year and the highest number for the month since the records began. Cattle ranching is the main cause of deforestation in this area, representing about 80% of the deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The effects this is having are the loss of biodiversity, reduced water cycling and rainfall and significant contributions to global warming.
It might sound daunting, but there is good news in this. In January 2023, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvia was elected Brazil’s newest president, marking a new era for the country’s environmental policies. Lula is committed to enforcing environmental protections in the Amazon rainforest and enabling stronger protections for Indigenous peoples and minorities. Some of his first decisions as president was to restore the authority of the government’s environmental protection agency Ibama to combat illegal deforestation. Lula also revoked a measure that encouraged illegal mining on protected Indigenous lands.
Lula plans to end deforestation by the end of the decade and recently received over $100 million from Britain for Amazon rainforest conservation efforts. This is an initiative aimed at fighting deforestation that is also backed by Norway, Germany and the United States. He also established 6 Indigenous reserves where mining is prohibited, and logging and commercial agricultural practices are restricted. Lula also announced new job openings at the environment ministry and indigenous agency Funai.
These efforts are paying off because the National Institute for Space Research has found that deforestation is down by about 64%. This is about 321 square kilometres compared to an average of 898 square kilometres. This is compared to deforestation in April 2022. It’s worth mentioning that under previous leadership, deforestation surpassed 10,000 square kilometres from 2019 to 2021. Moreover, from 2004 to 2011, deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon declined by nearly 75% when Lula was president. We hope to continue to see these numbers go down while Lula is in charge.
While these are still preliminary numbers, as deforestation usually peaks from July to September, it does offer some promise. Continued conservation efforts and enforcement from the government could help continue this downward trend. The deforestation that occurred under former president Bolsonaro was illegal and fueled by logging, mining and agribusiness. There was little concern or care for the environment. Deforestation in Brazil reached a 15-year high last year, resulting in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions reaching their highest level in almost two decades.
Under Lula’s leadership, it is clear that there will be change both for the people and for the environment. He hasn’t been president for very long, but there are already efforts being taken which will have a significant impact. In this sort of situation, the top-down approach is important, especially when the top is looking out for everyone and everything beneath them. Lula has a history of reducing both deforestation and inequality in Brazil, and there is no doubt that he will be able to do it again.
