The US space agency Nasa wants to expand its partnership with Brazil to protect and monitor the Amazon rainforest.
“Our satellites are already sending a lot of images and information to scientists here in Brazil to track the deforestation,” said Nasa boss Bill Nelson after a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília. “In the future, three new satellites will improve our ability to detect and prevent deforestation.”
The Amazon forest is considered a CO2 store and has an important function in the international fight against climate change. Deforestation and fires rose sharply during the tenure of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who was voted out in October. Since his successor Lula took office, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen significantly.
