Decline in Amazon deforestation

Image via Wikipedia


The Brazilian government announced a decline in deforestation in the Amazon region to the lowest level in 23 years, and justified this retreat to tighten its stance on illegal logging of trees.

The data showed issued by the National Institute for Space Research of the destruction of Brazil's share of the largest rainforest in the world fell by 11% to 6238 square kilometers in 12 months.

The figure was down a quarter of the forest area destroyed in 2004, when it reachedremovals of trees by farmers to expand their operations to raise cattle and grow soybeans to the peak.

Brazil has stepped up monitoring and implementation of conservation policies on theAmazon in recent years, but the improvementis partly due to the global economic slowdownhas reduced demand and prices for agricultural products of the country.

Concealed and the general improvement in the2010/2011 increases of concern in some states of Amazonas, Rondônia, which doubledas the removal of forests from the previous year, as the percentage of deforestation in the state of Mato Grosso agriculture by 20%.

Said Environment Minister Isabel Teixeira told reporters: "Some states are still very sensitive.We need to clarify the situation in theRondonia. We need to understand why changeits image."


Image by Ivan Mlinaric via Flickr


Law of the land
The decline coincides with deforestation in the Brazilian Congress to discuss reforms to the law of the land environment, scientists say itwill lead to a severe setback to efforts to preserve forests.

It is expected that the Senate approve the new law of forests in the coming days.

Currently being built two giant dams to generate electricity from waterfalls in Rondonia;to strengthen the local economy and attractmigrant workers.

The area of ​​the Amazon 4.1 million square kilometers, covering about 60% of Brazilian territory, and contains five water wealth of the world, and about a third of the global inventoryof animal species.

And record the destruction of the Amazonforests peaked in the period between 2003 and 2004 when 27,329 square kilometers.

Brazil is under pressure to slow theencroachment by loggers and cattle ownersaccused of involvement in the destruction ofthe largest rainforest in the world.


Source: Reuters