Amazon destruction rises 22% despite government promises to tackle environmental issues.

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has surged by 22% over the past year, reaching the highest levels since 2006, according to the government’s annual report. The data from Brazil’s space research agency, INPE, reveals that 13,235 square kilometers (5,110 square miles) of rainforest were lost, an area nearly 17 times the size of New York City, from August 2020 to July 2021.

This sharp increase undermines President Jair Bolsonaro’s efforts to assure the world that Brazil is taking measures to curb illegal logging. Despite his government’s commitment to environmental preservation, Bolsonaro continues to advocate for mining and commercial farming in protected areas of the rainforest.

At the recent UN climate summit in Glasgow, Brazil advanced a pledge to end illegal deforestation by 2028. However, this ambitious goal will require substantial and sustained reductions in deforestation, challenging the current trajectory of destruction.