Deforestation in Brazil slowed down in 2024. And this is the first time in the last six years. The figure is contained in the RAD2024 report compiled by MapBiomas Alerta, a collaborative network of Brazilian NGOs, universities and technology start-ups. RAD2024 was presented today in Brasilia, a few months before the South American giant hosts the crucial Cop30, the 30th UN climate conference. ..
However, the issue is controversial. Only a few weeks ago, on 25 April, the Amazon Institute for People and the Environment (Imazon) had released data of a diametrically opposite nature, although relating to the Amazon alone: ‘Deforested areas in the Amazon increased by 18% between August 2024 and March 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. A total of 229,000 hectares of forest were deforested’. Figures so conflicting that a reliable, unambiguous monitoring system on the affected territories is urgently needed.
