Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing candidate for president and a strong advocate of environmental deregulation, has backed policies that scientists say could hurt the Amazon rainforest. We mapped how deforestation of the Amazon has changed in Brazil depending on who is in power.
Deforestation of the Amazon surged under President Jair Bolsonaro, then dropped to the lowest level on record under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. But a win by Mr. Bolsonaro’s son could reverse that. He has promised to make it easier for miners and ranchers to clear trees. And his supporters have warned Indigenous groups that they plan to invade their lands if he wins.
Research shows that, if deforestation continues undeterred, the Amazon could receive dramatically less rainfall and much of the rainforest could gradually start turning into savanna by 2050.
