A new report reveals that 91% of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon in the last year was illegal, with 51% in the Cerrado. The study highlights poor registration of permits for legal deforestation, signaling significant challenges in monitoring and enforcement. Experts call for stronger regulations and financial measures to deter illegal activities.
According to a recent report by the Center of Life Institute (ICV), 91% of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from August 2023 to July 2024 was executed without proper authorization. In the Cerrado, a biodiverse tropical savanna spanning a quarter of Brazil, unauthorized deforestation reached 51%. This substantial rate of illegal clearing raises serious concerns regarding environmental enforcement and monitoring in these ecologically critical areas.
Brazilian legislation allows certain levels of legal deforestation, permitting landowners in the Amazon to clear up to 20% of their property with governmental authorization and up to 80% in the Cerrado. However, the ICV researchers found a significant gap in registrations for permitted land-clearing activities, indicating rampant illicit deforestation practices. Vinicius Salgueiro from ICV emphasized the challenge of illegal deforestation, stating that stronger enforcement must be coupled with economic disincentives to discourage unlawful clearing.
To support their findings, researchers compared satellite alerts of deforestation with government databases regarding legal permits. Their analysis revealed that only 9% of deforestation in the Amazon and 49% in the Cerrado was authorized. Disturbingly, only eight out of 16 states in these regions fully integrated their permit data with the federal database, Sinaflor, complicating the tracking of legal clearing activities.
Marcondes Coelho, the coordinator of ICV’s transparency and climate justice program, remarked, “Illegal deforestation thrives in the absence of transparency,” highlighting the limitations of the fragmented permit system on oversight and environmental enforcement. This dysfunction allows irregularities to proliferate unchecked within the system.
Suely Araújo, public policy coordinator at Brazil’s Climate Observatory, noted that illegal deforestation has long characterized the Amazon. She pointed out that although organized crime is more prevalent, the lack of governmental oversight significantly contributes to the ongoing problem. In the Cerrado, she suggested enhancing permit regulations to limit deforestation, as authorized clearing still encounters significant issues.
Overall, the report unveils the extensive unauthorized deforestation that continues to threaten both the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. The need for improved regulatory frameworks, transparency in permit issuance, and proactive enforcement measures has never been more crucial to safeguard these vital ecological landscapes.
The report by the ICV reveals alarming rates of illegal deforestation in Brazil, with significant portions occurring without authorization. The findings underscore the necessity for heightened governmental oversight and enhanced enforcement measures to combat these practices. Furthermore, transparency in the permitting process and economic disincentives are critical to prevent illegal clearing and protect Brazil’s invaluable ecosystems.
Original Source: news.mongabay.com
