Amazon deforestation hits new June record

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest reached a new June record, according to preliminary government data, amid fears that the destruction will fuel worsening forest fires and degrade the forest’s ability to absorb carbon emissions.

A total of 1,062 square kilometres of forest was cleared - an area nearly the size of the city of Rio de Janeiro – the highest for a month of June since records began in 2015, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research reported.

Deforestation has surged since right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019 and promoted the commercialisation of the Amazon, drawing international condemnation.