In Bolsonaro's last month, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased by 150%.

In Brazil's portion of the largest rainforest in the world, satellite monitoring found 218.4 square km of forest cover removed last month.

Jan 07 2023

Average yearly deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased by 75.5% under Bolsonaro, an agribusiness supporter [Michael Dantas/AFP].

According to government statistics, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased by 150 percent in December compared to the prior year, providing a sombre conclusion for outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro of the far-right during his final month in office.

According to the national space agency's DETER surveillance programme, satellite monitoring found 218.4 square kilometres (84.3 square miles) of forest cover damaged in Brazil's portion of the largest rainforest last month.

During his four years in power, Bolsonaro, who was succeeded on January 1 by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, sparked a global uproar for an increase in fires and clear-cutting in the Amazon, a crucial resource in the fight against climate change.

Brazilian Amazon deforestation increased 75.5 percent during the preceding ten years under Bolsonaro, an agribusiness friend.

Bolsonaro's administration may be finished, but the catastrophic effects of his environmental legacy will be felt for a very long time, according to Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, a coalition of environmental organisations.

After 2017 and 2015, it was the third-worst December on record for the eight-year-old DETER programme.

During the important dry season months of August, September, and October, when clear-cutting and fires frequently increase due to drier weather, deforestation in 2022 was also at or near record highs.

According to experts, farmers and land speculators clearing the forest for cattle and crops are the major causes of the damage. When he was president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, Lula presided over a significant decline in deforestation. As president again, he has pledged to relaunch the nation's environmental protection initiatives, work toward zero deforestation, and ensure that Brazil ceases to be a "pariah" on climate issues.