The Amazon area lost 3,235 square kilometers of rainforest in the last five months of 2007, four times as much as in the same period of 2004, said the Brazilian government Wednesday.
"Never before had we detected such a high deforestation rate at that time of the year," said Gilberto Camara, director of the National Space Research Institute (INPE), which provides the government with satellite images of the affected area.
Minister of Environment Marina Silva classified the figure as "preoccupying," and said she will discuss a strategy to reinforce inspection in the most endangered areas with the president on Thursday morning's meeting.
Last year, the government celebrated a reduction of 50 percent in deforestation registered during a period between July 2005 and July 2007. However, environmentalists foresaw that the rise in the international prices for agricultural commodities would lead to a rise in deforestation as well.
"It will be absurd if we return to the previous deforestation standard," said the minister.
Source:Xinhua
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