Brazil to intensify fight against deforestation
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The Brazilian government decided on Wednesday to intensify its actions to combat illegal deforestation in the Amazon region after a report warned of deteriorating situation in the area.
"The order is to reduce deforestation by July. This is a formal commitment by the government and we need to meet the goals of the National Plan on Climate Change," Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira told a press conference.
The Federal Police, state secretaries of environment and the National Force will work together in special actions to rapidly control growing deforestation, she said.
To reach this goal, the Environment Ministry will increase investment to improve satellite monitoring as well as field operations in the region.
According to a report by the National Institute of Space Research (INPE), deforestation in the Amazon region rose 27 percent from August 2010 to April 2011.
Minister of Science and Technology Aloizio Mercadante said his ministry and INPE are committed to boosting cooperation with the Environment Ministry to suppress environmental crimes in the Amazon region.
"We will do this by providing quality information in real time, so we can operate more efficiently," he said.
According to Mercadante, about 600 million U.S. dollars will be invested by 2012 in new satellites, which are capable of providing images with better resolution and helping to combat illegal deforestation.
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