Deforestation tripled in the Amazon, say researchers as experts warn more 'extreme events'.

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Despite the high figure, experts believe it could be much higher after researchers were able to track only half of the rainforest because of cloud cover.

Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon almost tripled last month compared with March 2014, say researchers.

Scientists from Imazon, a Brazilian non-profit reseach institution fear that the true figure may be higher. They use a programme developed by Google Earth to detect deforestation, but were able to track only half of the rainforest because of cloud cover.
Earlier this month, Greenpeace called for an end to deforestation and said removal of the rainforest had contributed to the drought affecting São Paulo.
“Extreme events such as drought episodes – much like the crisis faced by the south-east – will become increasingly more frequent and intense with climate changes,” said Cristiane Mazzetti, of Greenpeace’s Amazonia campaign.

According to Imazon, 22 square miles of rainforest were removed in March across the Amazon region, compared with 7.7 square miles in the same month last year. Its report said 1,094 square miles had been lost between August 2014 and March – a 214 per cent increase on the corresponding previous period.
Three quarters of the cleared forest was concentrated in the state of Mato Grosso, where part of the Pantanal wetlands can be found.
The system also found 10 square miles of degraded forest, which had been intensely exploited by logging or fires.
The Imazon figures are in stark contrast to those of the government released at the end of last year, which suggested that deforestation had fallen by 18 per cent across the nine states that form the Amazon basin.

Brazil’s environment ministry is testing a new detection system, Deter B, which produces higher resolution images to track deforestation.
Volney Zanardi, president of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, said: “Loggers are using techniques to trick the lower resolution sensor currently used and Deter B will be critical to identify these situations earlier.”

By Donna Bowater, Rio de Janeiro.

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