Amazon clearing slowing, Brazil's Lula says

BRASILIA, Brazil - With three days until a presidential election run-off, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said new data showed a dramatic slowdown in the destruction of the Amazon.

Deforestation of the world's largest rainforest dropped by about a third this season, Lula told a news conference.

Satellite estimates indicated 13,100sq km were cleared from August 2005-July 2006, versus 18,790sq km in the previous season.

Lula, who has been criticized by some environmental groups for not doing enough to save the rainforest, usually leaves the announcement of rainforest statistics to Environment Minister Marina Silva. Lula is expected to defeat opposition candidate Geraldo Alckmin in Sunday's second round of voting.

Last month, Silva gave preliminary estimates of an 11 per cent drop in deforestation, with 16,700sq km cleared versus 18,790sq km the previous year.

The new estimate was based on more accurate satellite data. But only two-thirds of the data have been collected and final figures will not be ready before the end of the year.

Land-clearing in the Amazon surged after Lula took office in 2003 in large part because booming world demand for Brazilian commodities tempted ranchers to graze more cattle, farmers to plant more soy and loggers to fell more trees.

In 2004, a chunk of rainforest the size of Massachusetts was lost, but land-clearing slowed by a third the next year as global commodities demand slowed.

Deforestation is difficult to track because of the Amazon's vast size and because many small wildcat miners and loggers fell trees.

Lula struck a nationalistic note as he announced the latest figures, apparently responding to suggestions from foreign environmentalists that international controls should be exercised over the area.

"Brazil's sovereignty over (the Amazon) is unquestionable. We won't give up control of this extraordinary biological reserve," he said.

International criticism of deforestation is a sensitive issue in Brazil, where nearly half of all land is covered by undeveloped rainforest.

- REUTERS