"SAO PAULO - Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 34% in the first half of 2023, preliminary government data showed on Thursday, hitting its lowest level in four years as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva institutes tougher environmental policies.

Data produced by Brazil's national space research agency Inpe indicated that 2,649 square km (1,023 square miles) of rainforest were cleared in the region in the half year, the lowest for the period since 2019.

But that's an area more than three times the size of New York City, underscoring the challenge Lula faces to eliminate deforestation entirely.

"It's very positive, but we continue to have very high levels of deforestation," said Daniel Silva, an analyst at nonprofit WWF-Brasil."

Carolina Pulice and Jake Spring report for Reuters July 6, 2023. [2]