Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rises in Oct, despite COP26 vows

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows deforestation near a forest on the border between Amazonia and Cerrado in Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso state, Brazil July 28, 2021. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo

GLASGOW (Reuters) - Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose in October from a year ago, satellite data showed on Friday, undercutting vows by the government of President Jair Bolsonaro that it is curbing destruction of a crucial bulwark against climate change.

The preliminary data from national space research agency INPE showed about 877 square kilometers (339 square miles) of forest were cleared last month, a 5% increase from October 2020. It was the worst October deforestation since the current monitoring system began in 2015.