Journal Article
Deforestation falls but rise of wildfires continues degrading Brazilian Amazon forests
Guilherme Mataveli; Matthew W. Jones; Rachel Carmenta; Alber Sanchez; Débora J. Dutra; Michel Chaves; Gabriel de Oliveira; Liana O. Anderson; Luiz E. O. C. Aragão
Global Change Biology · Vol. 30, Issue 2 · 2024
Abstract
In 2023, Brazil achieved positive environmental strides in the Amazon, with a 22% reduction in deforestation rates and a 16% decline in total fire counts compared with 2022, attributed to renewed environmental policy implementation. However, despite progress, deforestation remains above the target, and forest wildfires in old‐growth Amazonian forests surged by 152% in 2023 versus 2022, threatening biodiversity and carbon stocks. The rise in fires poses challenges for traditional farmers, impacts urban areas' air quality, and necessitates urgent measures like enhanced firefighting capabilities and long‐term strategies for fire‐free production chains to protect the Amazonian standing forests—a global socio‐environmental asset.