Amazon's destruction has fallen 31 percent since Lula became Brazil's president

amazon
Amazon rainforest / Photo: EPA-EFE / Joedson Alves

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has dropped by 31 percent in the first five months since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been in power compared to the same period last year, officials said. Satellite images revealed that from January to May, 1.986 square kilometers of forest cover was destroyed in Brazil's portion of the world's largest rainforest, down from the 2.867 square kilometers recorded in the same period in 2022, according to Brazil's space research agency.

The data from space agency INPE is good news for environmental groups pinning their hopes on Lulu, who took office as president on Jan. 1 and pledged to push for an end to illegal deforestation after a surge in logging and fires in the Amazon under far the real predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

When Bolsonaro, an ally of the powerful agricultural sector, was president, average annual deforestation increased by more than 75 percent compared to the previous decade. Lula marked World Environment Day on Monday by announcing a sweeping new plan to combat deforestation, with hundreds of targets, including immediately seizing half of the territory illegally used for logging, farming, mining and other activities on protected land.

"Brazil plays a big role in the balance of our planet's climate, mainly thanks to the Amazon," Lula said. "Preventing deforestation in the Amazon also helps reduce global warming," he added.

Experts say the real test for the government's deforestation will begin in the coming months, as the Amazon's dry season begins around July, which is normally the most intense season for deforestation and wildfires.

Lula's administration faced a series of environmental hurdles this week in Brazil's Congress, where the president's conservative rivals hold a majority. Last week, MPs passed legislation that cuts the powers of the Departments of Environment and Indigenous Affairs and dramatically cuts protections for native territories.

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