Brazil: Cerrado biome experiences 19% increase in deforestation alerts
The Cerrado, which is the source of 40 percent of Brazil’s fresh water, recorded a 19 percent increase in deforestation alerts last month compared to February 2023. According to monitoring by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the biome lost 3,798 km² of native vegetation from August 2023 to February this year.
During the same period, the Amazon saw a 30 percent decrease in alerts compared to February of the previous year.
According to WWF-Brazil, one of the primary factors contributing to the current situation in the biome is the number of deforestation authorizations issued by state governments and city councils, as permitted by the Forest Code.
Legislation determines that 80 percent of native vegetation must be preserved on private properties in the Amazon, while in the Cerrado, the requirement is only 20 percent, despite the biome being one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, hosting 5 percent of all species.
Agricultural expansion
The biome is a hotspot for agribusiness expansion, which is the primary driver of deforestation.
A study conducted by Yuri Botelho Salmona, the executive director of the Cerrados Institute, has demonstrated that the cultivation of soybeans, corn, and cotton, as well as livestock farming, have impacted the biome's hydrological cycle.
The study revealed that changes in land use has led to a reduction in water availability in 56 percent of cases, while in the remaining cases (44%), the primary factor driving changes is climate change. Research estimates suggest that if the current pace of agricultural expansion continues, the Cerrado could lose 33.9 percent of its river flows by 2050.
Ana Crisostomo, a conservation specialist and leader of WWF-Brazil's zero conversion strategy, points out that the agriculture sector has been affected by the imbalances it contributes to, as the loss of vegetation has already reduced the country's grain productivity by an average of 12 percent.
"In 2023 alone, requests for judicial recovery from rural producers increased by 535 percent compared to 2022, primarily due to losses in plantations and rising costs. Maintaining native vegetation and restoring deforested areas are priority actions that the agriculture sector needs to undertake if it intends to sustain its leading position in the trade balance," stated the spokesperson for the organization.
Indigenous Communities
The data concerning the Cerrado also raises concerns about the well-being of indigenous peoples. According to a 2022 report by the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), the biome ranks third in terms of the highest number of demarcated indigenous territories, following the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest. The study highlights the fundamental role these communities play in the recovery of degraded areas.
Matopiba
In the Cerrado biome, the region of greatest concern regarding deforestation rates is Matopiba (an acronym that covers the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia). Year-to-date, Maranhão and Tocantins have shown the most alarming results.
In Maranhão, 212 km² of vegetation were under deforestation alert last month, marking a 316 percent increase compared to February 2023. Between August 2023 and February 2024, as measured by the Deter year in the INPE system, the state experienced destruction twice as severe as in the previous period.
Regarding Tocantins, it registered 158 km² under deforestation alert, marking a 136 percent rise compared to February 2023. Throughout the Deter year, the state experienced destruction three times greater than in the previous period.
In the year-to-date Deter report, the Amazon registered 2,350 km² under deforestation alert, marking a 56 percent decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. In total, 3,798 km² of native vegetation loss in the Cerrado were detected between August 2023 and February 2024, indicating a 63 percent increase.
