In recent years, the rise in illegal logging in the Amazon has become a crucial issue on the global environmental agenda. This problem not only affects biodiversity but also compromises the well-being of Indigenous communities and can hinder the fight against climate change. New figures from the Brazilian government suggest that illegal logging has affected more trees in the Amazon rainforest than previously estimated.
Satellite data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) shows that 7.989 square kilometers of forest were destroyed between August 2015 and June 2016. Compared to the previous year, when 6.207 square kilometers were destroyed, this represents a significant increase in deforestation. Current projections indicate that logging continues to rise, especially in key areas of the Amazon.
Rising deforestation: a growing problem
This 29% increase in the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has caused great concern among those involved in environmental conservation. Although it is still far from the levels recorded in 2004, when between 23.103 and 24.398 square kilometers of forest were cut down, the upward trend shows no signs of stopping.
Brazil’s economic shift, driven by the severe recession of recent years, has directly affected government efforts to protect the Amazon. The Brazilian Institute for Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), the main agency tasked with monitoring and combating deforestation, has seen its funding cut by 30%, leading to fewer surveillance and control operations over illegal resource extraction.
Brazil was a model of government action in rainforest conservation between 2004 and 2014. During those years, a series of measures were implemented to protect the forest, such as the use of satellite imagery to detect deforestation and the creation of protected areas. However, illegal logging has continued to increase in vulnerable areas.
The importance of the Amazon for global biodiversity
The Amazon plays a crucial role in the fight against climate change, absorbing approximately 2.000 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year . Furthermore, it is estimated that over 50% of the world's total tree biodiversity is found in this rainforest. The impact of deforestation not only disrupts the natural carbon dioxide cycle but also seriously endangers some 180 Indigenous communities that depend on the forest for their livelihoods.
Initiatives to reduce deforestation are also key to Brazil's commitment to the Paris Agreement . Despite these efforts, the weakening of public institutions responsible for monitoring and controlling these forests has resulted in an alarming rate of illegal logging.
The role of indigenous communities
Cooperation with indigenous peoples has always been essential in the fight against illegal logging. Many lands controlled by these communities are better conserved than areas managed by the government. A study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) found that indigenous lands are deforested two to three times more slowly than non-indigenous lands.
Tribes like the Kayapo , for example, have been able to protect their lands from massive deforestation. In return, the government established agreements with these communities to allow them to continue living sustainably off their lands, protecting the environment in the process.
However, pressure from illegal logging and mining interests has increased on these communities, especially in contexts of economic crises and lack of state oversight.
Impact of the economic recession on deforestation
The cuts to IBAMA's budget have not only slowed the number of control operations in the Amazon, but have also limited the number of personnel available to carry out on-the-ground inspections. Added to this is the rise in violence in the region, with organised criminal groups taking advantage of the lack of oversight to expand their activities.
These criminal groups are involved in activities such as illegal mining and coca cultivation , which are also linked to deforestation. It is estimated that these groups have gained control over vast areas of the Amazon, taking advantage of the absence of government presence to impose their illicit activities.
The presence of drug trafficking and illegal mining
Drug trafficking has been a key driver of deforestation in countries like Peru and Colombia . Satellite images have shown an alarming increase in clandestine airstrips in indigenous reserves, such as the Kakataibo Reserve in Peru. These airstrips are lined with coca crops, and trees are felled to make way for processing plants that destroy entire ecosystems.
In Colombia, nearly 70% of mining is illegal, and almost the same percentage is activities that are migrating to Amazonian areas. Without adequate intervention by the authorities, lands that once served as a refuge for the Amazonian ecosystem are being devoured by illicit commercial activities that do not take into account the environmental impact.
Forest fires: another major challenge for the Amazon
In 2023, more than 34.000 forest fires were recorded in the Amazon , representing an increase of over 150% compared to the previous year. These fires, mostly caused by human activities, further exacerbate the loss of biodiversity and accelerate the process of desertification in the forest.
The recent El Niño phenomenon has worsened the situation, bringing prolonged periods of drought that have increased the likelihood of wildfires. Communities living in the Amazon basin have been affected by shortages of water, food, and basic resources.
The situation is even more critical because fires in primary tropical forests not only cause the immediate loss of trees, but also trigger a massive decomposition of biomass , releasing huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to the acceleration of global climate change.
Scientists warn that, without effective controls to prevent these fires, the Amazon could be close to a point of no return , where the ecosystem would collapse and become a savanna, losing its capacity to absorb carbon and its characteristics as the green heart of the planet.
Deforestation in the Amazon remains a problem that affects not only the region's biodiversity, but also the global climate. Government action, community involvement and international cooperation will be crucial to prevent current deforestation rates from continuing to increase. The conservation of the Amazon Forest is, without a doubt, an urgent priority for the future of our planet.