Amazon Deforestation Sees Steep Increase in July

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Deforestation in the Amazon in July of this year experienced a 278 percent increase over the same month last year. The data are from DETER (Real-Time Deforestation Detection), a system run by INPE (National Institute for Space Research) that is designed to help IBAMA fight deforestation.

In June of this year, DETER reported an 88 percent increase in deforestation compared to June 2018.

The DETER data showing the increased destruction in the Amazon triggered a crisis between INPE and president Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), which peaked with the dismissal of the institute’s director, Ricardo Galvão, last Friday.

Bolsonaro was annoyed by the data disclosure and even claimed that Galvão might be “at the service of some NGO”. Galvão upheld the institute’s deforestation data and reacted to Bolsonaro’s personal attacks. “He [Bolsonaro] behaves as if he were in a pub,” Galvão said on July 20th.

The Bolsonaro government has persisted in its attacks on the INPE data. Ricardo Salles, Environment Minister, and Marcos Pontes, Science and Technology Minister, spoke out against information on deforestation provided by INPE.

On Monday, August 5th, Bolsonaro said that “bad Brazilians” reported “deceitful figures” on deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Also on Monday, Pontes announced Darcton Policarpo Damião, a military officer, would be the interim administrator of INPE.