Deforestation in the first two months is the lowest in the last six years, points out Imazon

Deforestation in the Amazon in January and February 2024 reached 196 km², which represents the lowest number recorded in the last six years, since 2018. In relation to the same period in 2023, when the destruction of 523 km² was detected, the drop was of 63%. The data comes from Imazon's Deforestation Alert System (SAD).

The survey shows that February was the 11th consecutive month of reduction in forest felling. Despite this, the deforested area in the first two months of 2024 exceeds the territories of three Brazilian capitals: Vitória (97 km²), Natal (167 km²) and Aracaju (182 km²).

The area is still larger than that recorded between 2008, when satellite monitoring began, and 2017. The exception is only 2015, in all other years the deforestation remained below 150 km² in the first two months.

Deforestation by state

Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Pará, Maranhão, Amapá, Tocantins and Mato Grosso are the states that make up the Legal Amazon. Of these, Maranhão and Roraima were the only ones that showed an increase in deforestation in February.

In Maranhão, devastation went from 2 km² in February 2023 to 5 km² in the same month this year, an increase of 150%. In Roraima, destruction went from 19 km² to 26 km², an increase of 37%.

In relation to the size of deforested areas in the first two months of 2024, Mato Grosso, Roraima and Amazonas were the states that led the ranking. Together, the three account for 152 km² of forests felled in the two months, 77% of all destruction detected in the Amazon.

According to Imazon, in the case of Mato Grosso, the advance in deforestation is occurring mainly due to agricultural expansion, with emphasis on the municipalities of Feliz Natal, Nova Maringá, Juína, Juara, Marcelândia and Canarana.

Pará occupied fourth place in the ranking of largest deforested areas, but showed a 70% reduction in deforestation in the first two months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.