Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil, speaks at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2019, in New York.

Brazil is one of the best countries in the world at protecting its own environment and fires are not destroying the Amazon rainforest, the country's President Jair Bolsonaro claimed on Tuesday.

In an address to the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly, Bolsonaro said the Amazon "remains pristine and virtually untouched," claiming that this was evidence that Brazil is "one of the countries that protects its environment the most."

The Brazilian leader came under fire last month when it emerged that the Amazon rainforest was burning at a record rate. Data from Brazil's space agency showed that the number of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon between January and August surged by 84% from the same period in 2018.

However, Bolsonaro played down the rate and impact of fires in the Amazon, claiming the situation had been overexaggerated by "sensationalist attacks" from the media.

He also claimed that the environmental relevance of the Amazon had been inflated and that the rainforest was not a global property.

"It is a fallacy to say that the Amazon is a heritage of humankind, and it is a misconception, as scientists claim, to say that our forest is the lungs of the world," Bolsonaro said.

The Brazilian leader has been criticized in the past for his skepticism toward climate change, as well as his prioritization of the economy over the environment. In April, he suggested Brazil may open a protected reserve in the Amazon to mining, saying in a televised address the country should "use the riches that God gave us."

Conservation groups have blamed illegal logging and criminal networks for surging rainforest fires, and claimed that the situation is getting worse under Bolsonaro's government, according to NBC News.