In the first monthly statistics under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, satellite data showed that deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest decreased in January compared to a year earlier.
The region cleared 167 square km (64 square miles) last month, down 61% from January 2022, according to preliminary satellite data gathered by the government’s space research agency Inpe. This is the worst clearing month in the eight-year series.
Brazilian environmental officers conducted their first anti-logging raids in mid-January under Lula, who promised to stop the rampant destruction committed under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
Although January data can be particularly noisy due to heavy clouds over the rainforest early in the year, deforestation in January was also lower than the historical average of 196 square km for the month since 2016, which dates back to 2016.
‘It is encouraging to see such a significant drop in January,’ said Daniel Silva, a conservation specialist with WWF-Brazil. It is still too early to discuss a trend reversal, though, as a portion of this decline may be related to more cloud cover.
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