About 17% of the rainforest has been cut down already for cattle ranches, soy farms, logging, mines and dams. Much of this destruction is illegal. Last year, about 95% of the areas were deforested without a permit, according to the environmental think tank MapBiomas.

Brazil registered a record high deforestation rate for the first nine months of 2022
Just last month, 1,455 square kilometers were cleared — the largest area ever documented for the month of September. Satellite data from the Brazilian space research agency INPE revealed a record high deforestation rate for the first nine months of the year.
Part of the reason is rampant wildfires. Most are started when farmers burn down trees to clear land for crops and the flames get out of control. INPE detected more than 42,000 fires in September, the highest number since 2010.
“We’re very close to a point of no return,” said Fearnside, referring to the Amazon’s ability to mitigate climate change. “This could snowball into a disaster and the Amazon is at the center of it.”
Touted as a weapon in the fight against climate change, the Amazon has actually become part of the problem — because it is being destroyed. The rainforest is now emitting more carbon dioxide than it is removing from the atmosphere, according to a 2021 study published in Nature.
“I’m going to be honest with you. When I saw our early data, I began to question our method,” said Luciana Gatti from INPE who was lead author of the study. “Where was the carbon sink?”
The researchers refined their method and it became clear: Though the Amazon has the ability to absorb billions of tons of carbon dioxide per year, it is now emitting more than that. The southeastern part of the forest, a hotspot for fires and deforestation, is driving this trend.
“They’re destroying the Amazon without realizing they are destroying us all,” Gatti said of agribusinesses clearing the land.
Source: Destruction of the Amazon: What you need to know | Environment | All topics from climate change to conservation | DW | 13.10.2022
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