The Brazilian government has announced a plan to work with US entrepreneur Elon Musk to monitor the Amazon rainforest using satellite technology. The move comes amid accelerating deforestation due to illegal logging.

Musk, CEO of US electric car maker Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX, met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and business leaders in Brazil on Friday.

After the meeting, Bolsonaro said they had started discussing the use of SpaceX's satellite technology to monitor the Amazon.

More than 1,000 square kilometers of Brazilian rainforest were lost during April due to illegal logging and other factors. That was the largest area lost for the month of April in the past six years.

Bolsonaro described Musk as "a very objective person who wants to make his dreams come true as quickly as possible." He added Brazil wants to do its part by reducing bureaucracy.

One leading local media outlet noted that satellites are already performing detailed monitoring of forests. It says that illegal logging won't stop unless the government increases its crackdowns.