More than 1000 km² (386.1 m²) of forest destroyed in the last month, according to Brazilian government

Deforestation in the Karipuna Indigenous Land in the Amazon in Brazil - September 2021Desmatamento na Terra Indígena Karipuna na Amazônia em Setembro de 2021
Deforestation and forest fires of over 100 hectares inside the Karipuna Indigenous Land, near Formoso River, in Nova Mamoré, Rondônia state.
The Karipuna People, Greenpeace and CIMI (Indigenist Missionary Council) monitored the Karipuna Indigenous Land, in Rondônia state, in September 2021, registering a 44% increase in deforestation between August 2020 and July 2021. Along with deforestation, cattle raising and soya production have also been increasing in the state, putting pressure on local Indigenous People and threatening their lands. Inside the Karipuna Land, new deforestation spots, bridges and machinery are proof of constant invasion and land-grabbing in the region.
Desmatamento e queimada de mais de 100 hectares dentro da TI Karipuna na região do Rio Formoso, no município de Nova Mamoré, Rondônia.
Em um monitoramento feito pelo povo Karipuna, Greenpeace Brasil e pelo Conselho Indigenista Missionário (CIMI) na Terra Indígena Karipuna, em Rondônia, durante o segundo semestre de 2021, foi identificado um aumento de 44% no desmatamento no território entre agosto/2020 a julho/2021. Junto com o crescimento do desmatamento, a produção de carne e soja também vêm aumentando no estado, pressionando os povos indígenas da região e ameaçando a segurança de seus territórios. Dentro do território Karipuna, novos focos de desmatamento, pontes e maquinários revelam a invasão constante e grilagem da terra.

More than 1000 km² (386.1 m²) of forest destroyed in the last month, according to Brazilian government

Deforestation alerts released today by the monthly DETER-B data series of the national space research institute (Inpe) registered the highest rate of deforestation for the month of April in recorded history, despite the data missing the numbers for April 30.[1] At least 1,013 km² (391.1m²) of rainforest was cleared, larger than the area of Berlin, a 74.6% increase compared to the same period last year which covered 580 km² (223.9 m²). The scale of deforestation for April covers 3000 to 5000 hectares of cleared rainforest.

“The continued deforestation highs are a direct result of President Bolsonaro’s sabotage of environmental law enforcement in Brazil,” says André Freitas, Forest Campaign Director for Greenpeace Brazil, “The individuals perpetuating illegal deforestation have impunity as only 2% of [the] deforestation alerts have been investigated by authorities in recent years.”

The stakes for the unraveling crisis in the Brazilian Amazon are high considering the recent Global Forest Watch report which found that over 40% of the world’s total tropical forest loss for 2021 occurred in Brazil’s Amazon.[2] “Unfortunately the agribusiness lobby is trying to reward illegal deforestation as it advances laws that would reward land grabbing, open Indigenous Peoples’ lands for mining, and dismantle environmental licensing requirements,” Freitas continued.

ENDS

[1] DETER-B data for the last day of the month of April will be reported by INPE in the coming week. http://terrabrasilis.dpi.inpe.br/app/dashboard/alerts/legal/amazon/aggregated/

[2] 2021 Tree cover loss data reported by the Global Forest Watch and World Resources Institute, April 2022 https://research.wri.org/gfr/latest-analysis-deforestation-trends

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