b'SURFACE WATERWiping Out Years of ProgressControversial NeW Policies Positive stories about the environment are often fewThe uptick in Amazon deforestation coincides with and far between, but they do exist. The reductionthe election of Brazils new president, Jair Bolsonaro. of the hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic isBolsonaro is a strong advocate for using resources perhaps the most celebrated success of environmentalin the Amazon rainforest to boost Brazils economy. policy. Another success story that took shape in recentWhile campaigning for president, Bolsonaro promised decades was the reduction of deforestation in theto open up the Amazon rainforest to activities such Amazon, but that is unraveling quickly.as agriculture and mining. This promise has been kept, but not without criticism from within Brazil and Deforestation in the Amazon rose sharply from thethroughout the international community, especially 1970s to the early 2000s, but this trend began toafter images of smoke rising from the rainforest reverse around 2004 after the Brazilian governmentspread like wildfire across the internet in late 2019. introduced new regulations and policies that targeted deforestation. By 2012, the annual deforestation rateBolsonaro is unlikely to change his views on the was 80 percent lower than the average rate betweencountrys agricultural practices, primarily because he 1995 and 2006. 4does not want to negatively impact Brazils economy. In November 2019, he called the fires cultural Rates of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazonwhereand stated, deforestation and fires will never the majority of the rainforest residesbegan climbingend. 6Deforestation rates in the Amazon continue again after reaching a low point in 2012. This increaseto accelerate. In January 2020, the amount of land in deforestation has accelerated recently, as datadestroyed was double that of January 2019. 7released by the Brazilian government in November 2019 revealed a 30% increase in the amount of land deforested between August 2018 and July 2019Photo: Marcelo Chello / (9,762 km 2 , 2.4 million acres) compared to the sameShutterstock.comperiod the year before. 5Its this drastic increase in deforestation from year to year that caught the worlds attention in 2019.BrazilJune 18 th , 2018: The current president-elect, Jair Bolsonaro during participation in the Unica Forum.ArmageDDon in Australia Unlike the Amazon rainforest, naturally occurring fires are relatively common in Australia. However, the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season was extraordinarily devastating. Through the end of January 2020, an estimated 11 million hectares (27.2 million acres) of land across Australia burnedan area roughly the size of Virginiaand 33 people died. Over 2,000 homes were destroyed in New South Wales (NSW), the hardest-hit state. 8 Fires have taken an unfathomable toll on wildlife in the land Down Under. Images of burnt, thirsty koalas and kangaroos rushing away from flames shook BrazilAerial view of deforestation. Rainforest beingthe world. It is estimated that over one billionyes, removed to make way for palm oil and rubber plantations. billionanimals were killed in the fires. 8 MISSION: WATER'