Update

New data from the government of Brazil shows that deforestation rates for the Brazilian Amazon from August 2006 to July 2007 have fallen for the third consecutive year - and are the lowest registered for the region since 1991.

While these rates have reached historic lows, deforestation in the Amazon still proceeded at an alarming speed. During the government's survey period more than 2.7 million acres disappeared - equaling about four football fields of rainforest per minute. There are also indications that deforestation rates may be on the increase since the end of the reporting period.

"The Amazon has a unique and irreplaceable value, not only locally, but globally. Our recent report indicates that 55 percent of the Amazon's forests could be gone by 2030, releasing billion of tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, with major contributions to global warming", warns Dr. Meg Symington, WWF's priority leader for the Amazon. "If we are serious about saving the Amazon, the international community should support the efforts of the Amazon countries to stop deforestation; the Bali conference provides the opportunity to act now."

Deforestation and its effect on climate change is one of the many topics being discussed at the ongoing UN Climate Conference in Bali, Indonesia. Up to 75 percent of Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation and forest fires - mainly in the Amazon. Because of this, Brazil is the fourth largest climate polluter in the world.

Strategies to halt deforestation in the Amazon include minimizing the negative impacts from cattle ranching and infrastructure projects, and rapidly expanding the existing network of protected areas. WWF is also urging the government of Brazil and other Amazon countries to protect their rainforests by formally recognizing their natural value. Because they stabilize local and global climate, and provide a host of other goods and services to local residents, intact rainforests are more economically valuable than alternative land uses such as cattle ranching and agriculture.

WWF has been at the forefront of protecting the Amazon for over 40 years. Along with its coalition partners WWF will continue working across several sectors of the Brazilian government and civil society to establish broad support for Amazon rainforest conservation.

Fast Facts:

• The Amazon contains one-third of the Earth's remaining rain forests. These forests are key to stabilizing local and global climate, as they contain vast stores of carbon.
• Agriculture is the world's largest industry, employing over one billion people and generating over one trillion dollars' worth of food annually.
• Pasture and cropland occupy 50 percent of the Earth's habitable land.