According to a recent study published by the São Paulo Research Foundation on Tuesday, within the Brazilian Amazon, the incidence of unlawful deforestation on indigenous territories experienced a significant rise of 129% between the years 2013 and 2021.
According to a publication in the journal "Scientific Reports," the process in question resulted in an estimated 96 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
The study further revealed that 59 percent of these emissions took place during the period spanning from 2019 to 2021.
�� New study: Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon are efficient models in reducing deforestation. But since 2013, deforestation has increased 129% within Indigenous lands, followed by an increase in illegal mining areas. https://t.co/uwGVP8hYht
— Amazon Watch (@amazonwatch) April 17, 2023
This research evaluated 232 indigenous territories and concluded that the extent of deforestation within these territories amounted to 1,708 square kilometers, which corresponds to a proportion of 2.38% of the Brazilian Amazon.
"Deforestation also creates other problems inside these areas, such as the spread of diseases and threats to the survival of isolated indigenous peoples," said Celso Silva, professor in biodiversity and conservation at the Federal University of Maranhão.
In accordance with one of the co-authors of the research, Guilherme Mataveli, indigenous lands play an "essential" role in Brazil's commitment towards meeting pertinent environmental objectives, such as abating the consequences of climate change. This is attributable to the fact that Brazil houses 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest.