Destruction of Brazilian Amazon spikes by almost a third

13 September 2014

 - New data reveal that annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon is up for first time in five years.

The rate of destruction blighting the world’s largest rain forest spiked by nearly a third last year, according to new data released by the Brazilian government.

Satellite data showed that 2,315 square miles of forest had been cleared from the Brazilian Amazon in the 12 months through July 2013, up 29 percent from the previous year.

It reflects a reversal in the downward trend since 2009.