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A deforested plot of the Amazon rain forest is seen in a Sept. 17, 2019, file photo.Bruno Kelly/Reuters

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rain forest rose sharply in April, government data showed on Friday, as the country prepares a military deployment to fight a surge in illegal logging.

Destruction in Brazil’s portion of the Amazon increased 64 per cent in April, compared with the same month a year ago, according to preliminary satellite data from the country’s National Institute for Space Research.

In the first four months of the year, Amazon deforestation was up 55 per cent from a year ago to 1,202 square kilometres, according to the INPE data.

The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rain forest, and scientists say its preservation is vital to curb global warming because of the vast amount of greenhouse gas that it absorbs.

Destruction of the Amazon surged to an 11-year high last year and continues to climb in 2020, which environmentalists blame on policies of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro emboldening illegal loggers, miners and ranchers.

Mr. Bolsonaro has called for more farming and mining in protected areas of the forest, saying it is the only way to lift the region out of poverty.

The new coronavirus outbreak has complicated efforts to combat deforestation, with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, also known as Ibama, sending fewer agents into the field owing to health risks. The agency has said it will scale back field agents in other areas, but not the Amazon.

Mr. Bolsonaro on Thursday authorized the deployment of armed forces to combat deforestation and forest fires in the region. Environmental advocates say the measure may help in the short term, but is not a lasting solution.

Ibama agents have expressed dismay that deforestation has continued to surge in recent months despite the current rainy season in the Amazon, which makes the jungle harder to traverse and usually deters illegal loggers.

Parts of the Amazon that are hot spots for deforestation, such as southern Para state, have seen higher than average rain levels, which would normally lead to a fall in deforestation, said Carlos Nobre, an earth systems scientist at University of Sao Paulo.

Prof. Nobre warned that the rains will ease in the next three months as the dry season takes hold, when deforestation peaks in most years.

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