Amazon deforestation decline registered in Q1
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon has reportedly decreased by 40% in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to the same period last year, Reuters reports.
According to Environment Minister Marina Silva, preliminary satellite data released by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) up to March 28 showed that 492 square kilometres of the Amazon were cleared during this period, representing a 41.8% decrease from the previous year.
To combat deforestation, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has pledged to reduce it and end illegal clearing by 2030. The government has announced its plans to invest 730 million reais ($145.87 million) in actions to fight deforestation in 70 Brazilian cities responsible for almost 80% of Amazon deforestation in 2022. Additionally, Brazil is working on a proposal to create a global fund to finance forest conservation.
