Sob a Lupa do DETER: A Relação entre Degradação e Desmatamento na Amazônia

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the relationship between forest degradation and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2017 to 2020 using data from INPE's DETER and PRODES systems. It finds that while direct local conversion from degradation to deforestation is low, a significant portion of deforestation occurs in the vicinity of previously degraded areas, suggesting that degradation can serve as a regional risk indicator for future forest loss.

• Between 2017 and 2020, the average annual forest degradation in the Amazon was approximately 17,000 square kilometers, which is nearly double the annual deforestation rate for the same period.
• Forest fires are the primary driver of degradation in the Amazon, with 'Forest Fire Scars' (Cicatriz de Incêndio Florestal) accounting for over 70% of the total degraded area. Other categories include general 'Degradation' (16%) and 'Selective Logging' (12%).
• Degradation is geographically concentrated in the states of Mato Grosso (40% of the total) and Pará (33% of the total), a distribution that differs from clear-cut deforestation, where Pará accounts for 40% and Mato Grosso for 18%.
• The direct local conversion rate—where the exact same area that was degraded is later deforested—is low, representing only 10% of the total area deforested between 2017 and 2020.
• While direct conversion is low, there is a strong spatial association: over 20% of deforestation occurred in areas of previous degradation or within 0.5 km of them, and this figure rises to 30% when the radius is expanded to 1 km.
• The distribution of forest loss varies by land tenure category. Medium and large private properties concentrate a higher fraction of degraded areas than deforested areas, whereas rural settlements and non-designated areas show a higher participation in deforestation than in degradation.

APA

Pucci, R., Menezes, D., Mourão, J., & Gandour, C. (2021). Sob a Lupa do DETER: A Relação entre Degradação e Desmatamento na Amazônia. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/DQ-SobaLupadoDETER-PT.pdf

Chicago

Pucci, Rafael, Diego Menezes, João Mourão, and Clarissa Gandour. Sob a Lupa do DETER: A Relação entre Degradação e Desmatamento na Amazônia. Climate Policy Initiative, 2021. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/DQ-SobaLupadoDETER-PT.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pucci |first1=Rafael |last2=Menezes |first2=Diego |last3=Mourão |first3=João |last4=Gandour |first4=Clarissa |title=Sob a Lupa do DETER: A Relação entre Degradação e Desmatamento na Amazônia |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=December 2021 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/DQ-SobaLupadoDETER-PT.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pucci2021sob, author = {Pucci, Rafael and Menezes, Diego and Mourão, João and Gandour, Clarissa}, title = {{Sob a Lupa do DETER: A Relação entre Degradação e Desmatamento na Amazônia}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/DQ-SobaLupadoDETER-PT.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }