Around 941 square kilometres of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest were cleared in the first three months of this year, according to a report by the country’s National Space Research Institute, an official scientific body.
The extent of deforestation represented a 64% increase over the same period in 2021. The latest quarter also represented the extent of deforestation since 2018, and the continuation of a generally upward trend over the past decade.
Some environmental observers expect deforestation to gain momentum in the run-up to the country’s presidential election in October. This is what has taken place prior to the previous three elections.