On Friday, August 7, Brazil reported a reduction in deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest in July that has shocked international investors. However, environmentalists warned that it was still too early to declare it a success.
Last month, Science Times reported an increase of 25 percent of deforestation in Amazon by the first quarter of 2020. The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said that about 1,184 miles (3,069 kilometers) were affected by the deforestation in the first half of the year.
Meanwhile, the official data for July showed that 620 square miles (1,600 kilometers) of Brazil's Amazon rainforest was cleared, compared to last year's 2,250 square kilometers of the same month.
This shows that the efforts of the government have paid off, said Brazil's Vice President Hamilton Mourao, who also heads the National Amazon Council.
Too Early to Celebrate
Experts analyzed long-term figures concerning the Amazon rainforest. According to them, 4,730 square kilometers of deforestation happened from January to July this year, slightly above from last year's 4,700 square kilometers, said INPE.
But looking into the yearly rates of deforestation, it is much higher, which puts the Brazilian government into much pressure from international investors who wrote an open letter to the Brazilian leader in June. They urge President Jair Bolsonaro to end its projects that accelerate the deforestation of the world's largest rainforest.
The Brazilian government has taken the investors' call seriously and has taken serious actions to prevent deforestation. The country's vice president said that they aim to cut down deforestation and forest fires "to an acceptable minimum."
However, environmentalists were not optimistic about the latest numbers. They said it is too early to celebrate as the 2019 record has not been surpassed yet. The current numbers are positive, but Ane Alencar, Amazon Environmental Research Institute's science director, emphasized that 1,600 square kilometers is a lot.
"The fires usually start in June, accelerate in August and peak in September," Alencar said.
Many environmentalists, such as the NGO Climate Observatory, blamed the policies under Bolsonaro, whom they described as a climate change skeptic. "This isn't ineptitude, it's planned," they said.
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Wildfires Might Happen Once Again
According to Alencar, the clearing of so much land would inevitably lead to another alarming season for forest fires to occur.
Back in 2019, the Brazilian government was put in the loggerheads with the international community due to the large numbers of forest fires in the Amazon. They demanded Bolsonaro to implement rules that will enhance protection for the rainforest.
The satellite images and data showed that compared to last year, Amazon forest fires increased by 28 percent in July of this year.
Alencar said that those responsible for cutting the trees in Amazon wanted to get their return of investment. So, those people would burn the cut-down vegetation to clear the land. In conclusion, the way to stop forest fires is to find a way to start controlling deforestation in Amazon.
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