On 11th February 2022, the preliminary satellite data from government space research agency Inpe released data on deforestation taking place in Brazil’s Amazon. Since the last month deforestation has almost grown 430sq kilometres (166sq miles) which is five times higher than what it was in January 2021. The researchers on the same topic have regarded president Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing leader for the weakening of the laws and rule for the protection of the environment as the reason for this mishappening and time and again have warned him about the worsening situation. As the laws have weakened on the same for years now, the contractors have grabbed the land and have been illegally cutting off the trees for commercial purposes. Further, the high prices for beef, soy and other commodities are also boosting the demand for cheap land. Britaldo Soares Filho, an environmental modelling researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais stated, “People might be surprised that it didn’t increase even more.” “And there is a race to deforest the Amazon.”
The situation is already very serious and has been worsening since the last year with no proper grounds to work on. Deforestation involves the cutting down, burning and damaging of forests. It is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodland. The clearing of forests affects the local communities, who lose their source of food, fuel, construction materials, medicines and areas of livestock grazing.
Ministry of the Environment of the nation while talking to the media declared that they are taking the necessary steps and are forceful in fighting deforestation especially starting this year. The same situation is happening in Colombia’s Amazon region as well and that has also raised concern over the situation. About 150 of the researchers, as well as activists, had written from Colombia, Brazil, France and Spain to Colombia’s President Ivan Duque about the seriousness of the situation and the urgent requirement of the country to intervene. The forest fires in various regions of the world last year have been a major source of worry among the environmentalists and require major framework and steps to slow down the situation. The preservation of the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, is vital in curbing climate change because of the vast amount of greenhouse gas absorbed in its trees. The above also means that the country needs to stop all the mining process that has been going on in and around the forest for commercial purpose. Further, at the UN Climate Summit, 141 countries including Brazil has pledged to put an end to deforestation by the year 2030.
