Deforestation in the Amazon rises by 35% in one year, says Imazon
29 de April de 2025
By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – Data from the Deforestation Alert System (SAD) indicate that the area devastated in the Brazilian Amazon increased by around 35% in March this year, compared to the same period in 2024. The bulletin, published by the Institute of Man and Environment of the Amazon (Imazon), reveals that the platform recorded 167 square kilometres of destroyed forest last month, compared to 124 kilometres of deforestation recorded in the previous year.
The states of Mato Grosso, Amazonas, and Pará led the deforestation figures last month, accounting for around 79% of the total deforested area, with 39%, 23%, and 17%, respectively. According to Imazon records, 79% of the deforestation in the region occurred in private areas or under various stages of land ownership. There were also records in Settlements (16%), Conservation Units (5%), and Indigenous Lands (less than 1%).
Over the period of one year, deforestation in Pará surged by around 164%, with 29 square kilometres deforested this year, according to SAD monitoring, a tool based on satellite imagery. Mato Grosso was the second state where deforestation grew the most. The figure more than doubled in the state because in the same period of 2024 around 32 square kilometres were deforested, compared to 65 in the most recent analysis.
Critical municipalities
The report released by Imazon also shows the ten most critical municipalities in terms of deforestation across four states in the Brazilian Amazon. The city of Apuí (AM), which is located in the “Arc of Fire”, tops the list with around 15 square kilometres deforested. Maués, also in Amazonas, appears in third place, with 11 square kilometres of deforested areas. The two municipalities account for 26 square kilometres of deforested areas.
The state of Mato Grosso has the most cities among the ten most deforested. In total, there are six municipalities which together account for 37 square kilometres. Roraima and Pará also appear in the ranking with one city each. Altogether, around 81 square kilometres were deforested. See the full list:
Degradation
Despite the advance of deforestation in the region, the Imazon panel also showed a reduction of around 90% in forest degradation in the states that make up the Legal Amazon. The data show that last month, there were 206 square kilometres of degraded forests recorded. In the same period the previous year, around 2,120 square kilometres of degradation were detected.
Environmental degradation is a phenomenon that can be characterised by the gradual loss of vegetation, whereas deforestation is the removal of forest area—meaning degraded areas are an intermediate stage between intact and deforested forests. In March 2025, degradation was detected in Pará, with around 91% of the total, followed by Maranhão (4%), Roraima (4%), and Mato Grosso (1%).