Deforestation has surged in Brazil's Cerrado, a vast tropical savanna region, by nearly 45% compared to 2022 levels, according to data released Friday by the government's monitoring agency.
The National Institute for Space Research reported that 7,852 square kilometers (3,000 square miles) of vegetation had been torn down in the Cerrado biome between January and December 2023, especially in the states of Maranhao, Bahia and Tocantins.
