Bolsonaro's claims have further increased global concerns about the future of the Amazon rainforest, and international ire over his suggestion that NGOs were seeking revenge because his government had cut funding. Monitoring data indicated an 88% year-on-year increase in Amazon deforestation during June, and an 83% increase in wildfires through mid-August. Bolsonaro’s response has been to seek to discredit the data and to dismiss the head of the monitoring agency, in addition to now seeking to blame NGOs for destruction.
The future of the world’s largest area of biodiversity is increasingly in doubt.
Mineral extraction and agribusiness look set to continue advancing in the Amazon region.
Brazilian trade may be negatively affected by the government’s lack of commitment to environmental sustainability.
