Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon Dropped 48 Percent in Last Year, Agency Says

Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research reported that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon declined 48 percent in the past year, falling from 1,689 square miles to 886 square miles for the 12-month period ending July 31. A Brazilian conservation group, Imazon, issued a more conservative estimate, saying deforestation declined by 16 percent, falling from 682 square miles to 575 square miles for the same period. The large discrepancy is because the space agency uses visual interpretation by analysts of satellite pictures, while Imazon uses an automatic deforestation detection method based on satellite photos. Both track the “deforestation year” ending on July 31, when cloud cover is minimal. The government said stricter enforcement of environmental laws contributed to the drop in deforestation, while environmental groups said it was a temporary decline related to the global recession. The continuing threat of deforestation in the Amazon and surrounding regions was highlighted by the release of a NASA satellite photo showing a 1,500-mile pall of smoke hovering over central South America, particularly in Bolivia. Most of the estimated 150,000 fires were set by people clearing forest for grazing and agriculture.