The rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has remained near a six-year low despite a surge in the number of fires burning in Earth’s largest rainforest, according to data released on Friday by Brazil’s national space research institute, INPE. INPE’s deforestation alert system (DETER) reported that 561 square kilometers were cleared in September, bringing the 12-month total to 4,191 square kilometers—an area equivalent to nearly 600,000 football fields. This marks a 30% decline from the 6,029 square kilometers recorded at the same time last year. Monthly and 12-month- moving average data for deforestation alert data from Imazon’s SAD system and INPE’s DETER system. Imazon is a Brazilian NGO that independently monitors deforestation. While deforestation has decreased significantly, the area affected by fires in the Brazilian Amazon surged nearly 18-fold, from 4,700 square kilometers to 39,983 square kilometers, as fires ravaged regions hit by a historic drought. The number of fire hotspots detected by satellite rose to 145,357, a 70% increase from 85,670 at the same time last year. Monthly and 12-month- moving average data for burn scar alert data for Legal Amazonia from INPE’s DETER system. Amazonia: Comparison of the total number of active fires detected by the reference satellite each month, from 1998 to Sep 30. Fires are widespread across South America this year, causing air pollution and health impacts. In Brazil, fires outside the Amazon have been particularly severe in the Pantanal and Cerrado. Scientists have warned that the combination of deforestation, forest degradation, and climate…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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