MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil claims Amazon deforestation is down, but satellites say otherwise

Carlos Minc admits jungle destruction continues but it’s at its lowest in 21 years

Brazil's Environment minister claims increased policing have brought a sharp drop in Amazon deforestation over the past year, despite July's jump in logging. Predicting 2009 will witness a significant decline in clearing, Carlos Minc said there had been a 46% fall in the jungle's destruction since July 2008, with just 4375sq km cleared.

However, satellite data obtained by the Brazilian government suggests that some 8365sq km were cleared in July alone, an increase on the previous year. Nevertheless, Minc says that the 8500sq km expected to be felled in 2009 is an improvement.

“Deforestation rates are still very high, but this year we will have the smallest deforestation rate of the past 21 years,” he said. A peak of 27,329sq km was cleared in the 2003/2004 period, Minc added.

The drop may allow Brazil to claim some success at delivering on a pledge to reduce deforestation during a major world climate summit in Copenhagen this December. The government has been under pressure to slow the encroachment of loggers and ranchers for decades, while attempting to develop the resource-rich region.

Deforestation has in the past increased when demand for soy beans, beef and timber have gone up, and officials point out that when police attempt to confiscate trucks loaded with illegal wood, the situations can turn violent very quickly.

Minc attributed 90% of the deforestation reduction to improved policing. And while experts give authorities some credit for the trend, they say lower commodity prices resulting from a global economic crisis also was a factor.

The states with the biggest reduction were Rondonia and Mato Grosso, both in the south-western region of the Amazon. The worst performing state was Mato Grosso, whose governor is often called the “king of deforestation” by conservationists.