September 6, 2023

09:09

Daleth Oliveira – From Cenarium Amazônia Magazine

BELÉM (PA) – Pará reduced by 70% the area with deforestation alerts in August this year, compared to the same period in 2022. The data comes from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), published on Tuesday 5.

According to INPE’s Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (Deter), the drop was from 676 km² in August 2022 to 204 km² in August 2023. The reduction is equivalent to an area of 472 km², the largest reduction in square kilometers among the states of the Legal Amazon.

From January to August 2023, Pará also recorded a 48% reduction in deforestation rates compared to the same period in 2022.

Legal Amazon less deforested

The Legal Amazon also saw a decrease in deforestation in August this year. According to Inpe, the area covered by alerts was 66% smaller than in the same period in 2022, equivalent to an area of 1,101 km².

Pará leads the ranking of states in the region with the biggest reductions, followed by Amazonas (225 km²), Mato Grosso (173 km²) and Rondônia (113 km²). In total, the Legal Amazon recorded an area covered by alerts in August that was 66% smaller than in the same period in 2022, at 1,101 km².

From January to August 2023, the area covered by alerts in the Legal Amazon is 46% smaller than in the same period in 2022, representing an area of 3,100 km² less.

State of environmental emergency

During an Amazon Day event, Pará governor Helder Barbalho (MDB) said that emergency measures and integrated operations have contributed to preserving the environment in the state.

“When we decreed a state of environmental emergency, it was because we realized that the time had come to treat environmental crime on the same level as other crimes. As a result, operation ‘Amazônia Viva’, with more than 36 inspection cycles, and operation ‘Curupira’ have positioned strategies and mobilizations with immersion in certain territories of the state. These movements increase the culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility, providing opportunities for the proper use of biodiversity, with incentives for alternative land use”, said Barbalho.

For the governor, “Operation Curupira”, implemented by the state government, was fundamental in achieving these results, with a 40% reduction in the area covered by deforestation alerts in 15 municipalities considered critical. The operation, which began under the Environmental Emergency Decree, continues to strengthen the presence of state agencies in the fight against environmental crimes in critical areas.

Read more: Amazon Day: Pará creates new Conservation Unit on the border with Amazonas

Edited by Jefferson Ramos