The number of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon increased by 120% in May compared to April.
According to the government, on Friday (3), 1,692 fire incidents were reported this month.
However, according to satellite data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), fires decreased by 26% compared to the same month in 2022.
Last May, the highest number of fires in this biotope in 18 years was reported, with nearly 2,300 fires. The Amazon rainforest is the Brazilian habitat most affected by fires.
It accounts for 43% of all fires in Brazil in nearly four decades.
In 2022 alone, fire starts in the Brazilian Amazon grew by 14% compared to 2021, with 163,000 kilometers of forest devastated.
Fires in the world’s largest rainforest result from slash-and-burn activities related to logging and grazing.
Deforestation in the Amazon is mainly caused by illegal mining and illegal logging for timber commercialization, a problem that has increased by almost 60% during the government of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) due to a lack of controls.
The restoration of the Brazilian Amazon is one of the main commitments of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government, which is working to combat illegal activities in this biotope and reminds rich countries that they must financially support this fight to avoid a global climate crisis.
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