Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen by 42%, reaching a historic low over the past year, as President Lula has made protecting the rainforest a priority during his three years in office.
However, this progress could be threatened by the outcome of Brazil’s upcoming presidential runoff election, as frontrunner Flavio Bolsonaro has pledged to ease environmental regulations to facilitate mining.
During the presidency of his father, Jair Bolsonaro, the rate of forest loss was well above the average of the previous decade.
Bolsonaro’s candidacy has gained the support of the agricultural lobby, as well as members of the economic and political elite who favor the construction of new highways and railways, along with oil drilling in the Amazon. Research suggests these projects would accelerate deforestation.
Studies show that if deforestation continues unchecked, rainfall in the Amazon could decline dramatically, with large parts of the rainforest gradually turning into savanna by 2050.
The pressures on the rainforest are largely driven by global demand for raw materials and agricultural products. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef and soybeans, two of the main drivers of deforestation in the country.
Source: The New York Times
