Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell 68% in April from the previous year, preliminary government data showed today, a positive reading for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as it represents the first major drop under his watch. Lula won last year’s election pledging to end deforestation after years of surging destruction under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, but has faced continued challenges since taking office as environmental agency Ibama grapples with lack of staff. Official data from space research agency Inpe showed that 328.71 square kilometers (126.92 square miles) were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon last month, below the historical average of 455.75 square kilometers for the month. That interrupted two consecutive months of higher deforestation, with land clearing so far this year now down 40.4% to 1,173 square kilometers. “There are several factors, and the change in government might indeed be one of them,” said Daniel Silva, a conservation specialist at WWF-Brasil.

Source: Bueno Aires Herald May 13, 2023 05:13 UTC