In the Amazon, deforestation has decreased for the eighth consecutive month

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is growing falling for the eighth consecutive month.THE data, published by the National Space Research Institute (INPE) of Brazil, highlight how in November the deforestation amounted to 201 square kilometers, with a cumulative loss that in the last 12 months amounts to 5,206 square kilometers, 51% less compared to the figure noted during the same period last year.Since January 2023, deforestation has reached 4,977 square kilometers, marking a significant reduction compared to last year.Of course, the forest surface continues to decrease, still prey to timber and raw materials companies that cut it down, but the pace has dropped significantly thanks to the new protection measures implemented by the Brazilian government, the first step towards a reversal trend that now appears possible;also in light of President Lula's commitment to completely stamp out the business and criminal organizations that operate in the illegal deforestation of the forest within the end of his mandate.

According to the Brazilian Civil Protection, this year one of the most severe droughts ever recorded hit the Amazon, causing countless damage.Rivers have dried up and forests have died, creating ideal conditions for the spread of fires.The drought has also had a strong impact on livelihoods and some communities have even remained isolated, while theair pollution has intensified and food security has been compromised.Tourism and fishing, the main sources of income in the region, have also been severely damaged.Furthermore, while deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has declined, it has continued to increase in Cerrado, a tropical savanna south and east of the Amazon, also the target of agricultural expansion in Brazil.It is useless to underline how in such a serious situation the protection of the main green lung of Brazil, and of the entire world, becomes indispensable.

Since he resettled at the Palácio do Planalto, President Lula has placed the protection of the Amazon among the founding points of the government agenda.A break with the action of the president who preceded him, Jair Bolsonaro, under whose mandate (2019-2022) deforestation had increased by 75% compared to the average of the previous decade, becoming a land of indiscriminate conquest for industries and projects of all kinds.In fact, the former president had even abolished the Agency responsible for verifying deforestation, as well as approving highly contested projects including the construction of a highway inside the forest.Lula da Silva, put the forests under protection inhabited by indigenous populations and resumed the fight against fraud activities conducted in the forest, managing to initiate a change of direction, despite some obscure points in its policies, such as support for the contested soybean railway.

When we talk about the Amazon forest we are referring to a real green lung, fundamental for guaranteeing theclimate balance and biodiversity.A unique ecological wonder in the world that represents in all respects an immense carbon deposit capable of retain 80 to 120 billion tons of carbon dioxide, becoming a basic tool to combat harmful emissions into the atmosphere.The steps that the government is taking are therefore non-trivial.Furthermore, six new protected areas have also been established for indigenous populations, for a total of over 620,000 hectares.In the six new protected areas, extractive activities are prohibited and indigenous people have the full right to carry out traditional activities.The six areas are part of a list of fourteen territories destined to become protected areasAnd.In these areas, land remains under the jurisdiction of the federal government, and commercial agriculture and logging require specific permits.To the last one COP28, the international conference on combating climate change, Lula loudly asked that all countries work to help Brazil save what is the planet's heritage, in particular asking rich countries to finance forest conservation.Norway and Germany have already contributed to the Amazon Fund created for this purpose.

[by Francesca Danila Toscano]