Brazil is losing less rainforest

Brazil’s government has declared deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is at its lowest rate in 24 years.

Environment minister Izabella Teixeira said satellite imagery shows that 1,798 square miles were lost between August 2011 and July 2012 – 27 per cent less than a year earlier. The margin of error is ten percentage points.

The National Institute for Space Research said the deforestation level is the lowest since it started measuring the destruction of the rainforest in 1988.

Officials say better enforcement of environmental laws is behind the drop in deforestation levels.