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"They won't find any spot of fire, nor a quarter of a hectare deforested," he said. Read more: Amazon deforestation in Brazil hits worst level in over a decadeīolsonaro challenged the leaders to fly over the rainforest from Boa Vista to Manaus, a distance of some 750 kilometers (460 miles), and see for themselves. So this story that the Amazon is burning is a lie, and we have to fight it with real numbers," he told the meeting of the Leticia Pact, a group launched last year to protect the rainforest. President Jair Bolsonaro - who has repeatedly called for more of the Amazon region to be cleared for economic development - disputed the recent fire data in a speech to other South American leaders on August 11. With increased deforestation comes a greater risk of wildfires, since many of the those that ravaged the rainforest last year spread from land being cleared for illegal mining, agriculture and cattle ranching. That's the highest level since 2008, according to INPE. Last year's deforestation toll on the world's biggest rainforest - 60% of which is in Brazil - was an estimated 10,000 square kilometers (3,800 square miles), roughly the size of Lebanon. Read more: As coronavirus and deforestation soar, groups take Bolsonaro to court More than 10,000 fires were recorded in the first 10 days of this month, up 17% from the same period last year, according to INPE.
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And it's still early - August is generally considered to be the start of the fire season, which typically hits during drier months. Satellite data released by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) on August 1 showed more than 6,800 fires across the Amazon region in July, an increase of 28% compared with last year.
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And many experts fear the region could see a repeat of the destructive wildfires of last August and September. 2020 is shaping up to be another destructive year for the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Deforestation - a grim precursor to the fires used to clear the land for development - has increased significantly, according to observers.