Army sent in to save rainforest - January 25, 2008
Brazil is preparing to call on the army in a bid to stop Amazon deforestation. New figures show deforestation increased markedly in the last five months, which is surprising as last year the government said deforestation was slowing.
As well as using the army to carry out inspections, new initiatives include a moratorium on any new deforestation requests, holding businesses that buy commodities from destroyed areas responsible for deforestation, and making landowners prove they maintain preservation areas (Reuters).
There are two sets of figures floating around for the last five months of last year. The first set, derived from the DETER satellite system, say 3,200 square kilometres were felled (Reuters uses these). A second set are estimates of the true damage that will be unveiled when better images become available and these put the damage at 7,000 sq km (AFP and the Guardian use these).
The raw numbers are available from Brazil’s national space research institute. Perhaps the most troubling thing is the massive increase in the rate of loss: 243 sq km disappeared in August but this was up to 948 sq km in December (press release, in Portuguese). Dalton de Morrison Valeriano, the institute’s Amazon programme coordinator, says that the system used for these numbers usually comes out between 40 and 60% below the system that makes detailed annual calculations. He puts the variation on the 7,000 sq km figure at 1,400 sq km.
“We’ve never before detected such a high deforestation rate at this time of year,” says institute member Gilberto Camara (BBC).
All this is depressing after last year’s headlines:
Deforestation slows in the Amazon – ABC, Aug 15
Brazil deforestation slows again – BBC, Dec 8
Those who read Portugese can check out the coverage in Brazilian papers O Globo and O Estado de S.Paulo.
Image: satellite data collected in 2000 and 2001 classify the Amazon into three separate land categories: forest shows red, grasses green, and bare ground blue / image by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by the University of Maryland’s Global Land Cover Facility via NASA Visible Earth
Comments
Daniel,
I think that thev Brazilian government's plan is good, but I am not sure how well it can fight the economic incentives that drives the massive deforestation we see now. I think that another step to be taken is to give a counter-incentive to keep these trees alive. If local governments and municipalities will be paid to protect these trees, then they have an economic value as live trees. If this value will be high enough, then it will be worthwhile to keep them alive.
I think the measures should be based on the stick and the carrot both and not only rely on the stick. Give local communities the carrot and I promise you that you will see deforestation figures decrease again.
I also think it shouldn't be the sole responsibility of the Brazilian government to take care of it. The Brazilian rain forest is called "the lungs of the world" for its ability to consume greenhouse gases and produce oxygen, and hence I believe the world should chip in.
Just last week I wrote on our blog on Norway's announcement on its willingness to contribute about $500 million a year to projects aimed at protecting forests in developing countries. I think this kind of funding (and of course other countries should contribute as well) can make some good in Brazil and help Lula protect this precious natural resource.
Best,
Raz Godelnik
Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net
Posted by: raz | January 28, 2008 04:45 AM
Is there any links between Amazon deforestation (or Latin American deforestation in general)and the U.S. military?
Posted by: Brittany Malover | June 10, 2008 10:32 AM