Institute alerts for evidence of soil changes in the Amazon show areas that have been deforested, damaged by logging and show signs of burning or mining, as well as plant degradation from February 2016 to June 2020 in the Brazilian Legal Amazon.

The data indicates that deforestation and burning will be greater during this summer’s Amazon drought months, June-August, than in the same period last year.

Salles said in a recent meeting with Bolsonaro that it would be easy to pass new environmental rules and regulations that didn’t depend on the National Congress for approval, while the country is focused on the coronavirus pandemic.

He also has threatened to review the 334 environmental conservation units in Brazil, managed by the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity, and dismantling the agency as he did with IBAMA, leaving the inspectors without the financial resources and autonomy to work.

As a result of some of the government’s policies, and as deforestation continues, institute data indicates this year’s fires may be worse than in 2019.