According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation in the Amazon increased by 91 square kilometers compared to the same period of last year.

(Xinhua) — The Brazilian government said on Friday that the Amazon rainforest witnessed deforestation of a record 829 square kilometers in May, the highest monthly level since 2015 when measurements first began to be taken.

According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation in the Amazon increased by 91 square kilometers compared to the same period of last year.

Image taken on Aug. 17, 2019 shows a raging fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. (Dida Sampaio/AGENCIA ESTADO/Handout via Xinhua)

The Real-time Deforestation Detection system, a federal project created to monitor human activity in the Amazon, alerted authorities to the increase in the rate of destruction of the rainforest.

A recent study by the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) warned that deforestation in 2020 could reach 11,900 square kilometers if the pace of May, June, and July follows the historical average.