Brazil says to cut Amazon destruction by 70 percent

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BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil announced on Monday a plan to cut destruction of its Amazon rain forest by more than half over the next 10 years, the first time it has set a deforestation target as it seeks to fight global warming.

A government official told Reuters Brazil will aim to reduce deforestation of the world's largest forest by 70 percent by 2018. The target will be based on the average deforestation over the 10 years through 2005 of 19,500 sq km (7,530 sq miles).

That amounts to a yearly target of 5,850 sq km (2,260 sq miles), about half the most recent annual deforestation figure. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was scheduled to announce the plan officially later on Monday.

"We can now adopt targets because we now have the instruments to implement them," said Tasso Azevedo, head of the government's Forestry Service, referring to a new Amazon Fund which is attracting foreign donations to improve conservation.

Last week the government said Amazon deforestation increased 3.8 percent from a year earlier to nearly 4,633 square miles (12,000 sq km) -- roughly equal to the U.S. state of Connecticut -- as high commodity prices drew farmers and ranchers to slash more trees.

It was the first rise in four years, although well down from a peak of 10,570 square miles (27,379 sq km) in 2004.

The announcement of the new plan coincided with the opening of a United Nations climate conference in Poznan, Poland.

Burning of the Amazon makes Brazil one of the world's top emitters of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Every time a tree dies, its carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Brazil has previously refused to adopt targets until rich countries, which cause most carbon emissions, offered more help to protect tropical forests in developing countries.

Norway gave Brazil an unprecedented vote of confidence this year by pledging $1 billion to the new fund over seven years.

Brazil's government this year increased policing, impounded farm products from illegally cleared land and cut financing for unregistered properties, stepping up its efforts after figures showed a spike in deforestation late last year.

Commodity prices have plunged in recent weeks, but were near record highs for most of the year, increasing farmers' incentives to clear forest.

(Reporting by Raymond Colitt; writing by Stuart Grudgings, editing by Alan Elsner)

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