A Deforested Hill in Brazil Covered by Green Forest 20 Years Later

As the world continues to lose its green forest cover, photos showing deforestation and photos of the same mountainous area covered by evergreen forest were spread and posted many times. On social media, this image shows the meaning of the mountainous area covered by green forest in 2009 and became a deforested mountain in 2023. This image has been shared and commented on by many users. Fact Crescendo Cambodia found that the images associated with such content were misleading.

This is about our investigation of this photo.

Social Media Claim

On February 25, 2023, a Facebook page called “Sharon” recently posted a comparison image showing the same mountainous area covered by green forest in 2009 and has been deforested in 2023. Images associated with such content have been shared several times by social media users, along with mixed expressions and reactions as well.

The following is a screenshot image captured from a picture posted on social media on February 25, 2023.

Facebook Post | Archived Link

Fact Check

Fact Crescendo Cambodia started reviewing the above images and claims through Google Reverse Image Search, which led us to find the following facts.

A photo of the exact same shape and format was found on The Sun news website on May 5, 2019. According to a British newspaper article, this photo shows a mountainous area of a Brazilian family which they were destroyed in 2001.

The Sun News Report | Archived Link

Another photo showing the area covered by green forest was also found on a Facebook page called “Instituto Terra” posted on social media in January 2019. According to the content posted on the Facebook page above, the mountainous area, which lost its green forest cover in 2001, is now covered in 2019. The green forest returned in 2019 after a Brazilian couple tried to replant it in 20 years.

Facebook Post | Archived Link

News of the Brazilian couple’s reforestation has also been published by the Daily Mail in June 2019 too. The same newspaper reported that the Brazilian couple made a huge impression on the world after they spent 20 years together planting about 2 million trees in the mountainous areas that have been almost destroyed. See detailed content here or the link is archived here.

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You may find the details of this fact-check in Khmer language here as well.

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo Cambodia found that the photos as described above were posted with misleading content. These 2 photos are taken from Brazil. The one showing deforestation was taken in 2001 while another one covered by the forest is taken in 2019.