Date of Graduation

Fall 12-10-2020

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Environmental Management (MSEM)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Environmental Management

First Advisor

Tracy L. Benning

Abstract

Since discovered and inhabited, the Brazilian Amazon has been explored and impacted negatively by human activities. The conversion of forest to pastureland and farmland, as well as mining activities, road opening, wood and ore extraction and fire are historically the main causes of environmental damages and forest loss in the region. This project overviewed the latest changes in environmental policy and practices towards environmental protection conducted by the Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, since he took office in 2019, and analyzed the progress of deforestation in the recent years under the new federal administration. Geographic Information System analysis were used to access fire activity and total of burned area in the region from 2016 to 2019. According to the results of this project, 2019 had a total of 45415 Km2 of burned area, which was more than twice the amount of area burned in the previous year, 2018, with 19218 Km2 of area lost with the fires. The highest loss was observed in 2017 with total of 59688 Km2 in burned area. Government measures may have been the major cause of the spike in deforestation observed in the recent years.

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