In the year that severe flooding and landslides claimed over 800 lives in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil has joined the international space organization that makes timely satellite data available to rescue authorities during disasters.

The Brazilian government said it experienced the smallest loss of its sprawling Amazon rainforest over the past year in more than two decades, attributing the change to its tougher environmental policies.

Brazilian officials say the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has accelerated for the first time in four years; the government said the figure could have been a lot worse if it had not taken action against illegal logging.