Amazon may lose 15 thousand km² of forest by July, Imazon warns; March closed with the second worst quarter in 15 years
April 15, 2022
12:04
Iury Lima – Cenarium Magazine
VILHENA (RO) – The deforestation of the Amazon Forest may reach new negative records in 2022, “if there are no effective actions to combat and control”, according to new data released on Thursday, 14, by the Institute of Man and Environment of the Amazon (Imazon).
Researcher Larissa Amorim revealed that, considering the analyses of PrevisIA, the institute’s artificial intelligence for monitoring the biome, created in partnership with Microsoft, the devastation of the forests should reach 15 thousand square kilometers still in July, as of August last year. “So far, we have already reached almost a third of this total,” Amorim pointed out.
On the other hand, the month of March even presented a positive indicator, the 85% reduction in the monthly deforestation rate. Even so, the Imazon specialist ponders that there are no reasons to celebrate because, in the last three months alone, the deforestation of native vegetation was equivalent to the size of Salvador, the 15th largest Brazilian capital, that is, 687 square kilometers.
“When we consider the accumulated first quarter of each year, 2022 presented the second largest deforested area, second only to 2021,” he highlighted. This area of devastation represents the second worst record for the period, since 2008, when Imazon started monitoring the Legal Amazon by satellite images.
Small advances, old problems
According to Imazon, this first quarter of 2022 “was not worse than last year” because, in that same period, forest destruction was 1,185 square kilometers; a decline of 42%. Last month, the annual rate of the Deforestation Alert System (SAD) detected that the devastation fell from 810 square kilometers in March 2021 to 123 square kilometers this year.
Even with these small advances, the institute considers the scenario “extremely worrying” in the face of the climate emergency, “because the land use change sector is the one that currently emits the most greenhouse gases in the country”, says the environmental agency.
For researchers like Larissa Amorim, “despite the reduction in the month of March, deforestation has been showing an upward trend in recent years and soon we will enter a dry period, where, historically, forest clearing is more intense.
How the ranking was
As in February, Mato Grosso was the Federal Unit of the Amazon territory that most exploited natural resources irregularly, being responsible for 46% of the devastation. Pará, with 27% of all that was cut down and/or burned, and Roraima, with 11%, were in second place, followed by Amazonas, Maranhão and Rondônia.
Deforestation in March by Amazon State
State – Deforestation (in km²) – Deforestation in (%)
Mato Grosso – 57 km² – 46%
Pará – 33 km² – 27%
Roraima – 13 km² – 11%
Amazonas – 12 km² – 10%
Maranhão – 4 km² – 3%
Rondônia – 4 km² – 3%
Source: Imazon’s Deforestation Alert System (SAD)
The total area of degradation in the Amazon, those regions where forest recovery without human intervention is no longer possible because of the recurrence of deforestation, totaled 25 square kilometers in March this year: 96% of this was in Mato Grosso, and the other 4% in Rondônia.
Invoice to be paid
Larissa Amorim points out that the consequences generated by deforestation arrive, whether sooner or later. “Besides the loss of natural resources and biodiversity, both fauna and flora, deforestation also puts traditional peoples and communities, such as indigenous people, at risk. Considering the climate issue, deforestation contributes to global warming which, in turn, drives climate change, which is responsible for extreme events such as intense rainfall and severe droughts,” recalled the researcher.
“To combat deforestation in the Legal Amazon, it is necessary to intensify enforcement actions, prioritizing those areas that suffer greater pressure in relation to deforestation. It is also necessary to identify and punish those responsible and embargo those areas that are being illegally deforested. Only in this way will we be able to guarantee compliance with environmental laws”, concluded the specialist.
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