Exclusive-Amazon rainforest destruction slows sharply year to date, report says

FILE PHOTO: Herons are seen on the Piraiba river before a summit of Amazon rainforest nations, in Belem, Para state, Brazil August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Destruction across the Amazon rainforest so far this year has slowed dramatically, down 55.8% from the same period a year ago in a major turnaround for the region vital to curbing climate change, according to an analysis provided to Reuters.

The analysis by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation's MAAP forest monitoring program offers a first look at 2023 deforestation across the nine Amazon countries. Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia all showed declining forest loss.