Amazon forest in danger, more than previously thought 0:49
(CNN) --
The portion of the Amazon rainforest affected by deforestation in the first three months of 2022 was the highest ever recorded, according to a new report from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
According to the INPE report, published on Friday, between January and March of this year, 941.34 square kilometers of forest were cut down.
That's the most on record since the institute began monitoring deforestation rates in 2016. The area cleared is nearly the size of Dallas, Texas.
The researchers noted a 64% increase over the same period last year, when 573.29 square kilometers were razed.
Destruction of the world's largest rainforest has increased since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019 and weakened environmental protections, arguing they hamper economic development that could reduce poverty in the Amazon region.
The president's office and the environment ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
UN alerts on increase in forest fires 0:49
A UN climate panel report warned on Monday that governments are not doing enough to control greenhouse gas emissions to stave off the worst effects of global warming.
While fossil fuel use is the main culprit, deforestation accounts for about 10% of global emissions, according to the report.
"Brazil is an example of what the UN climate report says when it comes to governments not taking the necessary action," said Cristiane Mazzetti, a forest activist in Brazil for the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace.
"We have a government that is deliberately going against the necessary steps to limit climate change."
Some scientists predict that deforestation will continue to rise ahead of Brazil's October presidential election, as it has before the last three elections.
Environmental law enforcement typically weakens in election years and criminals may rush to deforest before a new government takes office, according to Carlos Souza Jr, a researcher at Imazon, a Brazilian research institution.
While there is talk of climate crisis, deforestation in the Amazon grows 0:49
On Thursday, Facebook parent company Meta announced that it had removed 14 Facebook accounts, nine Facebook Pages and 39 Instagram accounts for posting false information related to deforestation.
"This network originated in Brazil and targeted national audiences in that country," Meta said in its first quarterly "Adverse Threat Report."
Meta's report says it found "links to individuals associated with the Brazilian Armed Forces" behind the accounts.
The accounts were engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior," including posting content arguing that not all deforestation was harmful and criticizing "legitimate environmental NGOs that have spoken out against deforestation in the Amazon," the report says. target report.
CNN has reached out to the Brazilian Ministry of Defense for comment.
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