Brazil could reach historically low levels of deforestation in one to two years, Environment Agency head Rodrigo Agostinho said on Thursday, as the country steps up efforts to preserve forests, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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Deforestation has declined since Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office on January 1, following predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who weakened environmental protection measures and saw deforestation rise to a 15-year high.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to 9,001 square kilometers in the 12 months through July, the country's official annual period for measuring deforestation. This is the lowest level since 2018, the year before Bolsonaro took office.
But it is still nearly double the record low of 4,571 square kilometers of deforestation in the Amazon set in 2012.
Rodrigo Agostinho, head of the country's main federal environmental agency, Ibama, told reporters on Thursday that the government will continue to work diligently to further reduce deforestation.
Who knows, in one or two years we could reach the 2012 targets and work towards zero deforestation, Agostinho said.
Addendum
Lula pledged to end deforestation completely by 2030.
The president has staked his international reputation on restoring Brazil's environmental record and will attend the UN climate summit COP28 in Dubai later this month, saying the country is making progress in meeting its commitments, Brazilian officials said before the summit.
"This reduction in deforestation means that we will arrive at COP28 with our heads held high," Agostinho said.