Brazil to Reduce Amazon Deforestation by 72% Within 9 Years
The Brazilian government has announced plans to slash deforestation in the Amazon region by 72 percent by 2017.
The announcement, made by Environment Minister Carlos Minc in Brasilia on Monday, comes three days after it was revealed that deforestation in the Amazon had increased in 2008 for the first time in 4 years.
Part of the plan includes adding 3,000 more officers to fight illegal logging in the Amazon.
“This plan improves Brazil’s image, we’ll have more moral authority internationally,” Minc told reporters after announcing the plan.
The 72 percent figure comes from comparing against an annual deforestation average between 1996 and 2005. Minc says the plan would reduce deforestation by 72% when compared with the 7,330 square miles lost on average each year during that period.
Reduced Carbon Emissions
Brazil’s announcement came as this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference commenced in Poznań, Poland.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva believes that the plan puts Brazil ahead of many other countries attending the conference.
“We will surely receive criticism, but we can say that we are presenting a better one than China or India, and better than others that still haven’t signed the Kyoto Protocol,” he said.
Minc shares the president’s view ”Just in terms of avoided deforestation in the Amazon, the plan foresees a reduction of 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide that won’t be emitted up to 2018, which is more than the reduction efforts fixed by all the rich countries,” he explained.
Reforestation
Brazil not only plans to reduce deforestation, but also plans to double the reforested areas to 11 million hectares by 2020.
“This means that by 2015 we will be planting more trees than cutting,” Minc said.
Brazil’s Forestry Service Welcomes the Plan
The Brazilian government’s forestry service welcomes the announcement.
“We can now adopt targets because we now have the instruments to implement them” said Tasso Azevedo, head of the forestry service.
The ‘instruments’ Azevedo refers to is the new Amazon fund established earlier this year.
The Amazon Fund
The Amazon Fund is a fund established to preserve millions of acres of the Amazon as quickly as possible.
Through the fund, Brazil hopes to attract $21 billion in donations from rich countries to protect the Amazon.
Norway has already made a pledge of up to $1 billion to the fund. Norway’s contribution will be made by installments, each one being made on the condition that deforestation had reduced during the previous year.
Tags: amazon, Brazil, carbon emissions, Conservation, deforestation, rainforest conservation, rainforests
