Earth Science News
WOOD PILE
February deforestation in Brazilian Amazon lowest in years
February deforestation in Brazilian Amazon lowest in years
by AFP Staff Writers
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (AFP) Mar 12, 2025

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon recorded a nine-year low for February, according to satellite data Wednesday, heralding good news for the world's largest rainforest set to host UN climate talks this year.

The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said it had tracked deforestation over 80.95 square kilometers (31.25 square miles) -- the lowest for a month of February since the system was launched in 2016.

The figure was 64 percent lower than in February 2024.

Tree logging in February also dropped by a quarter in Brazil's Cerrado, the most species-rich savanna in the world, though the figure remained high with 494 square kilometers lost, the data showed.

Destruction of the world's forests, which play a key role in absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide, contributes to global warming.

Over the last century, the Amazon rainforest -- which covers nearly 40 percent of South America -- has lost about 20 percent of its area to land clearing for agriculture, logging, mining and urban sprawl.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, host of the COP30 UN climate conference to be held in November in the Amazonian city of Belem, has committed to eradicating illegal deforestation by 2030.

It has already been reduced significantly since Lula returned to power in 2023, having surged under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

According to INPE figures, deforestation halved in 2023.

The latest data does not take into account forest loss due to fires, with 30.8 million hectares lost in Brazil last year -- a surface area larger than Italy.

The loss was 79 percent more than in 2023, according to the MapBiomas monitoring platform, and the worst since 2019.

According to INPE data, more than 140,000 fire hotspots were registered in the Brazilian Amazon in 2024 -- a number not seen in 17 years and a 42-percent increase on 2023.

Brazil experienced a historic drought last year that experts have linked to climate change and the El Nino warming phenomenon.

Parched lands provided fuel for fires caused mainly by human activities, according to authorities.

Related Links
Forestry News - Global and Local News, Science and Application

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WOOD PILE
Amazon tree loss may worsen both floods and droughts: study
Paris (AFP) Mar 5, 2025
Deforestation in the Amazon causes more rain in the wet season and less rain in the dry season, according to new research published Wednesday underscoring the rainforest's "pivotal" role in regulating local and global climate. Rapid tree loss in the Amazon region, driven mainly by unsustainable farming, mining and logging, undermines the rainforest's ability to absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide. It has also affected weather patterns regionally, with previous research showing that the reduct ... read more

WOOD PILE
Milei pledges funds for deluge-stricken Argentine city

UK makes manslaughter arrest of ship captain over North Sea crash

US to deploy 600 additional troops to southern border

Coolant leak at Europe's biggest nuclear reactor: operator

WOOD PILE
New material captures CO2 to produce sustainable construction supplies

Colombian influencer puts the pizzazz into recycling

New platform lets anyone rapidly prototype large, sturdy interactive structures

Eco-friendly rare earth element separation: A bioinspired solution to an industry challenge

WOOD PILE
Take 'precautionary approach' on deep-sea mining: top official tells AFP

Planetary Water Limits Pose Challenge to Geological Resource Production

Talks on divisive deep-sea mining resume in Jamaica

S. Africa court bars fishing to protect endangered African Penguins

WOOD PILE
AI reveals new insights into Antarctic ice flow

Intense Atmospheric Rivers Can Partially Replenish Greenland Ice Sheet Loss

Scientists establish link between Earth's orbital shifts and ice age cycles

Global sea ice cover hits record low in February as world continues hot streak

WOOD PILE
Dramatic increase in research funding needed to counter productivity slowdown in farming

EU countries back looser rules for gene-edited crops

On the Mongolian steppe, climate change pushes herders to the brink

Enhancing agrivoltaic synergies through optimized tracking strategies

WOOD PILE
Florence averts disaster thanks to key floodgate

Quake damages buildings, sparks panic in Italy's Naples

Toll from US weekend tornadoes rises to at least 40

Cyclone kills six people in Mozambique

WOOD PILE
Sudan army makes gains as battle for Khartoum intensifies

Sudan paramilitary shelling kills six in key city: medic

EU, South Africa leaders vow deeper ties amid US threats

France begins handover of military bases to Senegal: embassy

WOOD PILE
When did human language emerge?

Study reveals how rising temperatures could lead to population crashes

Earliest evidence of human habitation in rainforests uncovered

Pentagon orders removal of pro-diversity online content

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.