According to a Brazilian non-profit, deforestation researchers have warned that the destruction of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest could increase by 16% in 2014. This is based on their models. In an election year, destruction often increases, according to a Brazilian non profit. According to statistics from the government, deforestation in this region reached a 15-year high by 2021.
Imazon, an environmental research institute said that its artificial-intelligence system for highlighting areas at danger of deforestation had indicated that more than 15,000 km could have been lost in Brazil’s rainforest over the 12 months through July, which is the official annual period for measuring the extent of deforestation. Carlos Souza Jr., an Imazon researcher, stated that the clearing of the rainforest has increased in all three election years. This raises concerns about the possibility of it rising again before the October presidential election.
Because of its large amount of greenhouse gases it absorbs, Amazon is considered the world’s most important rainforest. Since President Jair Bolsonaro was elected in 2019, the destruction of this jungle has increased and environmental protections have been weakened. The president claimed that environmental laws prevent economic development and called for more commercial farming in the Amazon to lift this region out of poverty.
The request for comment from the Environment Ministry and the presidential palace regarding the Imazon forecast was not immediately answered. Preliminary statistics from the government for January showed that deforestation reached a record level.
(This story is not edited by Devdiscourse staff.
