Criminal Groups Drive Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon State, Authorities Say

An environmental report on Mato Grosso, Brazil, details an 85% year-over-year surge in illegal logging from Aug 2023 to Jul 2024, totaling 49,000 hectares—17,800 within indigenous lands—with organized crime increasingly driving operations as remaining private forests dwindle; impacts include degraded ecosystems and livelihoods in places like the Guariba/Roosevelt Extractive Reserve (1,800 hectares lost), while authorities cite increased funding (from BRL 32M in 2020 to BRL 125M in 2025) to strengthen enforcement.