Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon Soars 64% in April

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continues to surge.

In April, satellite data found deforestation in Brazil’s portion of the Amazon increased 64% compared with April 2019, Reuters reports. The deforestation grew more than 50% during the first quarter of the year.

Environmentalists have blamed the policies of Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro for the rainforest’s surging destruction, which reached an 11-year high under his presidency in 2019.

Experts predict the deforestation will continue to increase as the country enters the dry season over the next three months, when illegal logging typically peaks, according to Reuters.