Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached 2,095 km² in July, and the last 12 months cumulative is the highest in 10 years

From August 2020 to July 2021, period known in Brazil as “deforestation calendar”, the rainforest destructed area hit 10,476 km²

The devastation in the Brazilian Amazon has been running at its fastest pace in 10 years. Only in July, 2,095 km² was deforested, 80% more than in the same month in 2020, according to Imazon data. This area is bigger than the city of São Paulo and represents the decade’s worst index for July.

With this, the last 12 months cumulative is also the highest since 2012. From August 2020 to July 2021, period known in Brazil as “deforestation calendar”, the biome saw 10,476 km² of rainforest being destroyed, an area equivalent to nine times the city of Rio de Janeiro.

This cumulative is 57% superior to the deforestation registered on the previous calendar, from August 2019 to July 2020, when 6,688 km² were ravaged.

The data was obtained through the Deforestation Alert System (SAD, in Portuguese) developed by Imazon. The research center monitors the forest via satellite images since 2008.