Clipping of news on Brazilian Culture, Law and Citizenship
04/09/2012
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Deforestation in the Amazon recorded fell 17% between January 1 and August 15, 2012, compared to the same period in 2011, show data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
The information was obtained by deforestation detection system in real time, Deter, who uses satellite imagery to view the loss of vegetation in the region. Comparing the data in the evaluated period, the devastation went from 1485.66 km ² of forest last year to 1232.75 km ² this year, a decrease of 252.91 km ².
Comparing the last three months of this year (May 15 to August 15, 2012) with the same period of 2011, the decline in deforestation was higher, 27.8%. The devastation of 773.85 km ² passed, the range recorded in 2011 to 558.21 km ² this year.
In August, the space agency announced that it would publish information Deter every 15 days. The data are considered a quick survey and do not have the level of detail of the official survey scheduled for the end of the year by the institution, Prodes (Project Monitoring Deforestation in the Amazon).
State - The state champion in the ranking of the devastation remains the Mato Grosso (694.69 km ² of area destroyed), followed by Pará (321.58 km ²) and Rondônia (121.68 km ²), according to data from January Deter to August 2012. Last year, these same states led the deforestation of the Amazon - Mato Grosso lost 744.68 km ² of forest, lost 365.92 km ² Pará and Rondônia has 230.36 km ² of deforestation.
For professor of environmental policy and climate change UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista), David Montenegro Lapola, although partial, figures show continued the downward trend in deforestation of the Amazon, "something that has occurred since 2004."
He points to two factors for the decrease in the destruction: the greater presence of government in the Amazon, mostly in the form of supervision, and the global economic slowdown, which may have led to a lower demand for products of the agricultural frontier in the region, which for years have expanded towards the forest.
For the teacher, the creation of protected areas and the increased presence of agents of the Federal Police and IBAMA in the region in recent years contributed to deforestation. "But we can not ignore the issue of the international economic downturn," he says.
The researcher points out that the drop in Amazon destruction also contributes to reduced emissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate change the planet. Approximately 75% of emissions of greenhouse gases in Brazil come from burning and devastation of forests and other biomes, including Amazon, said Lapola.
"I think there's more to do with respect to surveillance. If we can reduce deforestation by 80%, why can not we reduce by 100%? "Says the professor, referring to the goal set by law in Brazil by the National Policy on Climate Change. By law, the country aims to reduce Amazon destruction by 80% by 2020.
Minor historical index - In June, the Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira, announced that Amazon had the lowest deforestation rate of the past 23 years. According to INPE, the region had 6,418 km ² of forest cleared between August 2010 and July 2011 - the equivalent of four times the size of the city of São Paulo.
It was the lowest rate since the institute began measuring in 1988, and there was a decrease of 8% compared to the same period in 2009 and 2010. However, in December last year, the space agency had disclosed an expected 6238 km ² of deforestation - an increase of 3%. The number was obtained from the consolidated data system Prodes.
Source: Environment Brazil
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This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.