Wildfires, Farming, Ranching Increase Deforestation By 17% In Amazon

Amazon rainforests have lost scores of green cover as deforestation increased by 17% in 2020. A University of Maryland report pointed that around 2.3 million acres of land, equivalent to El Salvador, has lost the forest cover. Losing over 1.5 million hectares of primary forest, Brazil accounted for the highest deforestation while Bolivia and Peru followed next. The study cited slash-and-burn agriculture, wildfires and cattle ranching as major reasons behind it.