Deforestation in parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil declined to its lowest levels in more than a decade, a good sign for what scientists call one of the world’s most important climate regulators. File Photo by Antonio Lacerda/EPA

July 11 (UPI) -- Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest levels in more than a decade, officials said this week.

Satellite surveys show a 37% decrease in the number of trees felled in the world's largest rainforest in the past year compared to the previous one, according to the National Space Research Institute (INPE).

This is the lowest level of Amazon deforestation since 2014, data published on Friday shows.

"It's a solid result, stemming from government actions to protect the forest and combat environmental crime," said executive secretary Márcio Astrini, of the Brazilian environmental collective Observatório do Clima.