Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised to stop illegal logging in the Amazon by 2030.
Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has decreased by almost 46 percent during the year, according to data published on Wednesday.
In the past twelve months, a total of approximately 4,300 square kilometers of forest has been destroyed, while almost 8,000 square kilometers of forest were destroyed a year earlier.
However, on a monthly basis, deforestation turned to growth in July for the first time in fifteen months. Last month, an area of nearly 670 square kilometers of rainforest was destroyed, while last year at the same time, the amount of deforestation was only about 500 square kilometers.
President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised to stop illegal logging in the Amazon by 2030.
The Amazon covers almost 40 percent of the surface of South America. The rainforest lost about 20 percent of its area in the last century. The biggest reasons for deforestation were the growth of agriculture, cattle ranching, logging and the mining industry, as well as the expansion of cities.
Sources: AFP, AP