National Space Agency

The sharp rise in gold prices has driven a surge of illegal mining in Brazil, much of it in the Amazon rainforest, according to a study published on Sept. 6.    

Gold output in Brazil, the world's 14th-biggest producer last year, has soared since the coronavirus pandemic pushed international prices to record highs.    

The Brazilian tropical forest in the Amazon is suffering a record number of fires this year, according to new data from the National Space Agency.

The National Space Research Institute (INPE) says its satellite images show an 83% increase over the same period in 2018.