Cerrado registers increase in deforestation in the Lula government

The cerrado biome had a 35% increase in areas under deforestation alerts in the comparison between the periods from January to May 2022 and 2023. The data are from Deter, a system of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). The announcement was made this Thursday (6) during a press conference at the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), with the presence of Minister Marina Silva, and was attended by representatives of the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) in the presentation of data and actions taken.

In the same period, deforestation in the Amazon fell by 31%. The result in the Amazon is due, according to the MMA, to the control measures adopted by the federal government. The actions include the increase in fines, embargoes and seizures for illegal deforestation by Ibama and ICMBio.

Lula government applied R$ 2 billion in fines for deforestation and environmental violations

The amount of fines imposed throughout Brazil in the first five months of 2023 alone exceeds R$ 2 billion (R$ 2,023,120,819.61). The average of the last four years was just over R$ 778 million (778,844,627.53).

According to the data presented, there was a 179% increase in the issuance of infraction notices in the Amazon. There was also an increase of 128% in embargoes, 203% in the destruction of equipment used in environmental crimes, 107% in seizures and 185% in fines.

In the Cerrado, there was an increase of 16% in infraction notices, 37% in embargoes, 38% in the destruction of equipment used in illegal deforestation, 29% in apprehensions and 72% in fines.

With the results in the Cerrado, the MMA sent official letters to all the states in the biome requesting authorization for the removal of vegetation. According to the ministry, there are indications that at least half of the deforestation in the biome occurred with authorization issued by the states.

This Wednesday, Ibama said it would forward notification to the states to send data of all authorizations for the suppression of native vegetation issued in the last 4 years in the 24 municipalities with the highest rate of deforestation to verify the legality/regularity of the authorizations.