The Amazon deforestation has reached largest level this year

The Increased deforestation of the Amazon reflects Bolsonaro’s policy. This year has been marked by deforestation registered by the Institute for Space Research (INPE) in the Amazon and it is already the largest in the last ten years. Rates have already been surpassed by 37% of the area deforested in 2018. In July 2019, 4,139.3 km² of forest were destroyed, an area equivalent the size of the sum of the biggest cities as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador.

Summing the first seven months of Bolsonaro’s government the Brazilian Amazon region has already lost 9346 km². That is 43% more than the average of deforestation of the last 10 years.

According to the National Institute of Spacial Research – INPE, between 2004 and 2008 the annual average of deforestation of the Amazon was of 17126 km², and during the years of 2009-2018 this annual average has decreased to 6493 km².

The states that has suffered more with the deforestation are Mato Grosso (3658 km²), Pará (2144 km²) and Roraima (1528 km²). In the state of Roraima the deforestation has drastically increased in comparison to last year. One of the main causes pointed out is the illegal mining activities in the Indigenous Territory of the Yanomami, circa of 10 thousand illegal miners invaded the indigenous territory.

Among the municipalities most deforested in the last seven months of this year are: Mucajaí-RR (535 km²), Altamira-PA (432 km²) and Iracema-RR (345 km²). And among the Conservation Unities are the National Forest of Roraima (134 km²), National Forest of Jamanxim, Pará (96km²) and The Enviromental Protection Area of Tapajós-PA (47km²).

The National Institute of Spacial Research (INPE) is a federal governmental technical instrument that monitors since 1988, the deforestation of the Brazilian forests. It’s work is source of research for many scientists in the world, despite this, Bolsonaro and the Minister of Environment questioned the data reported by the Institute, which evidences the deforestation of the Amazon.

An enormous forest threatened

The Amazon forest is present in nine countries of South America, the largest portion is in Brazil, with 4.197 millions of square kilometers.

According to the Instituto Chico Mendes (ICMbio), circa of 15% of the Amazonian biome is distributed in 119 Conservation Units and according to FUNAI circa of 26% of the Amazon is compound by Indigenous Territories. The sum of these protect areas is equivalent the size of France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom together.

The Amazon is also compound by the most voluminous water basin in the world, with highlight to the Amazon basin’s arms: the rivers Juruá, Purus, Madeira, Tapajós, Xingu. Recently has been discovered the aquifer Alter do Chão, which according to scientists is the largest reserve of fresh water in the world.

All this richness, protect by the people of the forest is even more threatened by the growth of agribusiness, large wood cut corporations and large corporative projects, as mining, hydro-powers dams, navigation roads and railways. The threat and attack towards the human rights defenders has also increased and hereby we remember two members of the Movement of People Affected by Dams – MAB, Nicinha e Dilma Ferreira, killed in 2015 and 2019, respectively.