According to the new edition of the Annual Deforestation Report in Brazil (RAD), this is the second consecutive year of reduction in vegetation loss; Despite progress, preservation remains a challenge
In 2024, Brazil registered a significant decrease of 32.4% in deforestation, totaling the loss of 1,242,079.1 hectares, compared to 1,836,749.3 hectares deforested in 2023. This information was released on Thursday (15) in the annual report of the (RAD) by the Mapbiomas network, which also pointed out that all biomes in the country have dropped or stability in deforestation rates.
The Cerrado stood out as the most affected biome, with 652,197 hectares deforested, representing 52.5% of the total. However, this number reflects a 41.2% reduction from the previous year. The Amazon, in turn, lost 377,708 hectares, with a decrease of 16.8%. Caatinga had a loss of 174,511 hectares, with a reduction of 13.4%, while the Pantanal deforested 23,295 hectares, a drop of 58.6%. The Atlantic Forest, in contrast, saw a slight increase of about 2%, with 13,472 hectares deforested.
Extreme climate events were responsible for 22% of deforestation in the Atlantic Forest in 2024. The state of Rio Grande do Sul emerged as the third largest responsible for this loss in this biome. In Pampa, the deforested area was 896 hectares, which represents a decrease of 42.1% over the previous year.
The region of Matopiba, which covers the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia, concentrated 75% of deforestation in the Cerrado. Maranhão led the losses, with 218,298.4 hectares deforested, followed by the states of Pará, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia.
Regarding indigenous lands, vegetation loss was 15,938 hectares, which represents a 24% reduction compared to 2023. Conservation units also showed a decrease, with 57,930 hectares deforested, a drop of 42.5%. Since 2019, agriculture has been mainly responsible for more than 97% of native vegetation loss in Brazil.
Between 2019 and 2024, the country lost a total of 9,880,551 hectares of vegetation, an area equivalent to the size of South Korea. These data highlight the importance of effective policies for environmental preservation and the fight against deforestation in Brazil.
*Report produced with the aid of AI
