Brazil’s Amazon Sees 30% Drop in Deforestation – A Win for the Planet?

Good news for Earth lovers: Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest fell by 30% in February compared to last year, according to government data released Friday. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration is pushing hard to meet its 2030 pledge to end illegal tree clearing – and early signs suggest progress!

The Numbers Game

Satellite data from Brazil’s space agency INPE shows 226 sq km (87 sq miles) of rainforest were lost last month – that’s like losing three Manhattans. While still above the nine-year average, it’s a sharp drop from 2023’s record-breaking 322 sq km destruction.

A Cloudy Picture?

But scientists warn February data can be tricky due to heavy Amazon cloud cover. Meanwhile, northern Roraima state saw alarming wildfires threatening Indigenous Yanomami communities – a reminder that the climate crisis battle is far from over.

Experts Weigh In

\"The Amazon trend is encouraging, but we’re seeing rising destruction in the Cerrado savanna,\" said WWF-Brasil’s Mariana Napolitano. Translation: One win doesn’t mean victory – Brazil’s ecosystems need unified protection.

While activists are cautiously optimistic, all eyes remain on whether Lula can turn this momentum into lasting change. After all, saving the ‘lungs of the Earth’ isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon.

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Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon down 30 percent in February

cgtn.com