Deforestation in Brazil's savanna region surges to highest level since 2019

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Deforestation has surged in Brazil's Cerrado, a vast tropical savanna region, by nearly 45 per cent compared to 2022 levels, according to data released Friday by the government's monitoring agency.

The National Institute for Space Research reported that 7,852 square kilometres (3,000 square miles) of vegetation had been torn down in the Cerrado biome between January and December 2023, especially in the states of Maranhao, Bahia and Tocantins.

This is the highest level since 2019, when the agency recorded its first full year of deforestation in the Cerrado, home of more than 800 species of birds and nearly 200 mammals, according to the non-profit WWF, or 30 per cent of the nation's total biodiversity.

Some of the most emblematic animals include jaguars, giant armadillos and anteaters, tapirs and maned wolves.

Since taking office a year ago, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has halved Amazon deforestation, which reached a 15-year high under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. Even though results have been uneven, the leftist leader has promised to promote development in the region that makes sustainable use of its resources.

The situation in the Cerrado comes in contrast with Lula's vow to end net deforestation by 2030 — two years beyond his current term.

Brazil is hiring new personnel for its understaffed environmental agencies and the nation also announced in September that it will provide financial support to municipalities that have most reduced deforestation. The measure, however, only applies to the Amazon region, not the Cerrado.

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