Deforestation in Brazil - statistics & facts
For the first time since 2019, the deforested area in Brazil has declined. In 2023, total deforestation in the South American country stood at 1.8 million hectares, a decrease of 11.6 percent compared to the previous year. Brazil has the second-largest forest area worldwide and is home to more than 60 percent of the world's biggest rainforest, the Amazon. However, despite international pressure and political progress deforestation in Brazilian ecosystems remains a pressing issue, with biomes like the Cerrado still reporting positive growth rates.
In addition to its production of oxygen, and functioning as an essential carbon sink for the planet this tropical forest is a crucial home to numerous animal and plant species, which can be endangered by the loss of forest area and vegetation. Additionally, indigenous people living in over 3,300 formally acknowledged territories are susceptible to deforestation, depleting not only their homes but also their ancestral knowledge and resources.
Although such plans seem to be bearing fruit, Brazilian forests are still suffering from tree cover loss linked to human activities, losing thousands of hectares every year. Deforestation is taking a toll on Brazil’s ecosystems, and the coming years will be crucial to defending the vast reservoir of resources and ancestral knowledge.
The loss in the Amazon
Spanning 5.5 billion square kilometers across Brazil and eight other countries, the Amazon rainforest is commonly known as the planet's lungs. Despite its ecological and economic importance, and efforts which have seen a decline in its deforestation rate, the Brazilian Amazon is still suffering from the purposeful clearing of forest land. In 2023, the Legal Amazon’s deforested area amounted to approximately 800,000 hectares, equivalent to more than ten times the area of New York City.In addition to its production of oxygen, and functioning as an essential carbon sink for the planet this tropical forest is a crucial home to numerous animal and plant species, which can be endangered by the loss of forest area and vegetation. Additionally, indigenous people living in over 3,300 formally acknowledged territories are susceptible to deforestation, depleting not only their homes but also their ancestral knowledge and resources.
The Cerrado is also suffering
While Brazil's forests are mostly concentrated in the Amazon, other biomes are not strangers to deforestation. The Cerrado is a tropical savanna in the eastern part of the country and is considered the world’s most species-rich savanna. It was also one of Brazil’s biomes worst hit by deforestation between 1985 and 2023, losing around 27 percent of its natural vegetation area. The loss of its natural vegetation is also causing stress in the fauna around the biome. The Cerrado is the Brazilian biome with the second highest number of vulnerable and endangered animal species, ranking ahead of the Amazon with over 300 species affected.What is driving Brazil's deforestation?
Deforestation in Brazil is strongly associated with an economic growth model that heavily relies on commodity exports, in particular those linked to cattle ranching, mining, soybean production, and logging. This has resulted in an overall decrease in natural vegetation, substituted by agricultural and livestock land growth. Politics also play a significant role. After years of budget cuts and loose environmental restrictions, left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office in January 2023, pledged to end deforestation by 2030. The new Brazilian government launched a plan that includes formalizing land ownership titles, establishing a rural registry to supervise correct forest management, and enhancing satellite imaging to monitor criminal activities. This coordinated policy is targeted at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and thus mitigating climate change.Although such plans seem to be bearing fruit, Brazilian forests are still suffering from tree cover loss linked to human activities, losing thousands of hectares every year. Deforestation is taking a toll on Brazil’s ecosystems, and the coming years will be crucial to defending the vast reservoir of resources and ancestral knowledge.
