Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has fallen again in the past 12 months, according to preliminary data published by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.
The reduction follows the passing of Brazil’s Forest Code in April 2012, which green campaigners say weakened forest protection measurements.
Data from satellite images show a 23 percent reduction in deforestation from August 2011 to July 2012 against the previous year, with 2,049 square kilometers being cleared compared with 2,679 square kilometers in the previous 12 months.