The amount of carbon dioxide released due to the destruction of the Brazilian Amazon exceeded the amount that the rainforest was able to absorb between 2010 and 2019, according to new research in the journal Nature Climate Change. Using satellite data, the study authors calculate that the region saw a net loss of 0.67 billion tonnes of carbon during the decade, suggesting that the Amazon’s ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere may be a thing of the past.
With more than 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest lying within Brazil’s borders, the country holds huge strategic importance in the fight against climate change. However, since current president Jair Bolsonaro entered office at the start of 2019, reduced environmental protections have sparked a massive increase in deforestation.