Last year’s devastating fires in Brazil have again increased the rate of deforestation in the Amazon. This rate of deforestation has called into question President Lula da Silva’s commitment to forest conservation.
A report by the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE) shows that deforestation in the Amazon increased by 9.1 percent from August 2024 to May of this year. In May alone, the rate of destruction jumped to 92 percent.
However, Brazil showed its greatest success in preventing deforestation in 2024, when the rate of destruction in all natural areas decreased for the first time in almost six years. Now that progress is under threat. On the other hand, Brazil is going to host the UN Climate Conference this year.
However, the picture outside the Amazon is different. The rate of deforestation in the Pantanal wetlands decreased by 77 percent from August 2024 to May 2025, which is a major improvement compared to the previous year.
Joao Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of Brazil’s environment ministry, said last year saw a record number of wildfires in several South American countries, including Brazil. He blamed the fires on a severe drought, which has spread widely.
In many areas, fires were set to clear land for crops and cattle, which then got out of control. The fires spread into forests, causing extensive damage.