The Brazilian government says that deforestation in the Amazon basin fell by 33.6% in the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term compared with the same period in 2022.
The BBC reports that Lula has pledged to end deforestation, or forest clearance, by 2030, but that he faces a huge challenge to achieve this target, as the area of rainforest still reported to be lost under his rule is more than three times the size of New York City.
Government data suggests the rainforest shrank by 2 649 sq km between January and June this year, down from 3 988 sq km in the same period last year, under President Bolsonaro.
According to the BBC, satellite data released by the government has not been independently verified.
Earlier this year, Lula decreed six new indigenous reserves, banning mining and restricting commercial farming there.
Indigenous leaders welcomed the move – but stressed that more areas needed protection.
[Image: Antonio Campoy, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53125238]