Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Hits Lowest Level Since 2018

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continued to decline in May, reaching its lowest level since March 2018, according to data from Brazil’s national space research institute, INPE. The institute's DETER system reported that deforestation in May 2024 covered 501 square kilometers (193 square miles), an area 147 times the size of New York City’s Central Park. This brings the accumulated deforestation detected by DETER over the past year to 4,350 square kilometers, a 54% decrease from the same period last year.

Year-to-date data shows a 40% reduction in forest clearance, with 1,182 square kilometers detected by DETER, compared to 1,986 square kilometers by this time in 2023.

The trend of declining deforestation reported by DETER is corroborated by an independent system maintained by Imazon, a Brazilian NGO. Imazon's system serves as a check against official data and mirrors the reduction in deforestation.

Observers predict a sharp drop in deforestation for the 12 months ending July 31, a period used by Brazil for measuring annual deforestation. This date corresponds with the peak of the dry season in much of the Brazilian Amazon, when minimal cloud cover facilitates the measurement of changes in forest cover.

For the annual assessment, Brazil uses higher-resolution satellite imagery, which requires more time for analysis. However, DETER’s shorter timeframe allows authorities to take swift action against illegal deforestation. Data from both DETER and the annual system, PRODES, have shown a strong correlation.

Last year, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon totaled 9,064 square kilometers, down 22% from 2022 and marking the lowest annual figure since 2018. The reduction in Brazil accounted for the majority of the decrease in deforestation across the entire Amazon, as Brazil’s portion comprises about two-thirds of the world's largest rainforest.

While the decline in deforestation is encouraging for Amazon conservation efforts, a rise in forest fires amid a historic drought has sparked concerns among conservationists. The cumulative extent of burned areas in the Amazon over the previous twelve months has reached its highest level since 2018. These burned areas are historically excluded from deforestation counts.

In addition to the Amazon, rising deforestation in the cerrado—a dry woody savanna bordering the Amazon—has been detected by DETER. The cerrado is crucial for its rivers, which support farms, ranches, and urban areas in southern South America. Deforestation in this region has reached its highest level since 2018, though it remains substantially lower than levels seen throughout most of the 2000s.

Scientists have warned that the combination of deforestation and climate change could destabilize the Amazon rainforest, potentially leading to a vast die-off of trees in the southern and eastern parts of the region. This would have far-reaching consequences, affecting continental rainfall patterns and causing a widespread decline in species that depend on the rainforest ecosystem.