Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Logging Threatens 7,000 Square Kilometers in the Amazon

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 8 2011 (IPS) - The Amazon could lose another 7,000 square kilometers of forests by July 2012, according to a report on the risk of deforestation released by the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (Imazon). The figures are 95 percent accurate and based on geo-statistical techniques that determine the future risk of deforestation based on the spatial distribution of past deforestation and factors like topography and the proximity of highways and rivers, among others.

The northern state of Pará faces the greatest threat, with 72 percent of its forest cover in danger. It is followed by Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Amazonas and Acre at 11, eight, five and four percent, respectively. Privately owned, unoccupied and disputed lands face a risk of 65 percent, while areas designated for agrarian reform settlements face a 24 percent risk of deforestation.

"Statistics are important to highlight areas where the government should step up inspections," Imazon researcher Márcio Sales told Tierramérica.