Claims that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has fallen by 30% in the past year have been met with scepticism by environmentalists.
The Brazilian government’s space agency estimated 7,297 square miles were felled in the period to August 2005, down from a revised 10,500 square miles during the same period a year ago.
It is the first reduction in the deforestation rate since 2000-2001, but environmentalists have questioned whether there would be a lasting effect.
Government policing is cited as one reason for the improvement, and environmentalists also believe destruction caused by ‘selective’ logging has not been taken fully into account.
WWF in Brasilia has called on the government to commit publicly to a long-term deforestation target.
