Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon increased by more than 200 percent in previous 6 months; forest degradation increased by more than 700 percent
By Antônio Fonseca, Carlos Souza Jr., and Adalberto Veríssimo
23 February 2015 (Imazon) – […] In January 2015, 288 square kilometers of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon were detected by SAD. That represents a 169% increase in relation to January 2014 when deforestation totaled 107 square kilometers. In January 2015, deforestation was concentrated in Mato Grosso (75%) and Pará (20%), with a lower occurrence in Rondônia (2%), Amazonas (1%), Tocantins (1%) and Roraima (1%). Degraded forests in the Brazilian Amazon totaled 389 square kilometers in January 2015. In relation to January 2014, when forest degradation totaled 32 square kilometers there was a 1,116% increase. In January 2015, deforestation was concentrated in Mato Grosso (75%) and Pará (20%), with a lower occurrence in Rondônia (2%), Amazonas (1%), Tocantins (1%) and Roraima (1%). The deforestation accumulated during the period from August 2014 to January 2015, corresponding to the first six months of the official calendar for measuring deforestation, reached 1,660 square kilometers. There was a 213% increase in deforestation in relation to the previous period (August 2013 to January 2014) when it reached 531 square kilometers. Considering the first six months of the current deforestation calendar (August 2013 to January 2015), Mato Grosso leads the ranking with 35% of the total deforested during the period. Next come Pará (26%) and Rondônia (20%). In relative terms, there was a significant increase of 665% in Mato Grosso and 241% in Pará. In absolute terms, Mato Grosso leads the ranking for accumulated deforestation with 579 square kilometers, followed by Pará (427 square kilometers) and Rondônia (340 square kilometers).
In January 2015, SAD recorded 389 square kilometers of degraded forests (forests intensely exploited by logging activity and/or burned). All of the forest degradation detected in that month is present in the State of Mato Grosso. [The degradation accumulated during the period from August 2014 to January 2015, corresponding to the first six months of the official calendar for measuring degradation, reached 1,764 square kilometers, a 731 percent increase in degradation in relation to the previous period (August 2013 to January 2014) when it reached 212 square kilometers.] [more]
Deforestation report for the Brazilian Amazon (January 2015) SAD