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Brazil’s Amazon Dilemma
- THE GEOSTRATA
- Mar 13
- 4 min read
The Amazon rainforest is critical to global climate regulation and is still under threat despite recent advancements in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government. Deforestation has been reduced by 50% substantially because of tighter enforcement of environmental laws. Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, substantially as a result of deforestation, make up 46% of the country's aggregate.
Illustration by The Geostrata
As Brazil prepares to lead COP29, its streamlined Nationally Determined Contribution sets ambitious emission reduction targets, but critics question their feasibility and thickness with Brazil's oil production plans.
CONDITION OF AMAZON FOREST
The Amazon rainforest stretches over a 6-million-square-kilometer area, about 40% of Brazil, up to the Guiana Highlands, Andes Mountains, Brazilian Plateau, and out to the Atlantic Ocean. This basin holds the world's greatest river and is replete with millions of species; yet many remain unrecorded. It's vital vegetation comprises myrtle, palm, acacia, mahogany, Brazil nut, and rubber. Its natural life comprises pumas, capybaras, manatees and numerous monkeys.
The Amazon is important not just to protect against climate change, but because it absorbs a large portion of the carbon dioxide emissions.
The adjacent Cerrado savanna saw a 26% decrease in deforestation, to 8,174 square kilometers lost—the lowest since 2020. That says much about the efficiency of recent environmental policies and enforcement efforts in Brazil, under its incumbent administration. Deforestation increased with the growth of Brazil's population in the 20th century, reducing forest cover from 4.1 million sq. km in 1970 to 3.32 million sq. km in 2016. Amazon continues to be at risk despite efforts at the global and regional level.
THE AMAZON'S ROLE IN CLIMATE REGULATION
The Amazon Rainforest spans almost 1% of Earth's surface, holds nearly one-third of the world's remaining tropical rainforests, and harbors 10% of known wildlife species, with many still to be discovered. It is a vital habitat for species such as jaguars, with more than 70% of its population found here. Yet this is under trouble from rapid-fire deforestation, which has reduced tree cover by an estimated 17% since 1970. On average, a new species is discovered every three days, but deforestation jeopardizes this rich diversity.
The Amazon plays a crucial role in stabilizing the global climate, storing 150-200 billion tons of carbon, half in trees and half in soil. It acts as one of the world's largest carbon sinks, absorbing about 20% of global vegetation carbon. First off, deforestation, caused mainly by agricultural activities and mining, liberates carbon stored in the forest, therefore contributing to global warming.
It moreover controls the worldwide water cycle, discharging 20 billion tons of water each day. Rising temperatures consolidate famines, reducing downfall, and putting the survival of the timber at threat.
The Amazon could degrade into a campaign, creating a dangerous feedback circle of deforestation, drying, and fires, dismembering not only the climate and carbon cycle but also indigenous water coffers and biodiversity, with long- term consequences for the stability of the earth.
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND PRESSURES
The economic value of ecosystem services (ES) offered by the Brazilian Amazon, synthesizing nearly 30 years of local research, mainly in Portuguese. The estimated value of services such as habitat provision, carbon sequestration, water regulation, and ecotourism amounts to approximately 410 USD/ha/year.
Image Credits: Rightful Owner
However, there is considerable variation in these values due to heterogeneous data. These Meta-regression models explain just 50-70 percent of these variations, indicating large discrepancies with enlarged-sized sample statistics. The purpose of this research is to refine accuracy and assist in national efforts to conserve this resource in Brazil, particularly focusing on the Amazon, where 60% of this forest is situated.
DEFORESTATION AND FIRES THREATEN A GLOBAL LIFELINE.
Primarily, agribusiness - notably cattle ranching - drives the cases of deforestation and fires in the Amazon. This is further intensified by illegal land grabbing that often is for the extension of cattle pasture. Politically, enforcement of environmental laws was reduced, especially under the Bolsonaro government.
Additionally, climate change has worsened the conditions as the dry season is getting longer from July to November.
In 2022, fire hotspots increased by 16.7%, with the AMACRO (Amazonas, Acre, and Rondônia) region being a significant hotspot.
These fires often violate Brazilian law, which prohibits burning for land clearing, further endangering the forest.
The government of Brazil headed by President Lula launched a plan to eradicate complete deforestation in the Amazon basin by 2030, which will involve improved policing, satellite tracking of activities, and promotion of responsible practices. It emphasizes regularization, recovery of degraded forests, and ecotourism and certification of forest products as part of the so-called green economy.
Its products will be traced to meet the global sustainability standards. Amazon financial intelligence will be used in tracking illegal activities. All the damages done by Bolsonaro's environmental destruction policies will be reversed.
COP29 CONTRIBUTION & EFFECTS
Brazil again proved to be a climate leader by participating in the COP Presidency Troika at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The country made bold statements during COP29 by pledging to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by between 59% and 67% below the 2005 levels by 2035 and valued this at saving between 1.05 billion and 850 million tonnes of CO₂.
Brazil also launched the program of integrated green economy, which simultaneously implements mitigation as well as adaptation measures through mechanisms that include mechanisms such as the Climate Fund, Sustainable Sovereign Bonds, Eco Invest Brazil, and the Tropical Forests Forever Fund, by paying for the avoided deforestation. All these commitments have been widely recognised as being important for furthering global climate actions, promoting sustainable development, and boosting the efforts to conserve the environment.
To conclude, although recent progress under the leadership of President Lula has led to important reductions in deforestation, the Amazon Rainforest remains under intense threat from illicit activities and climate change. Brazil's ambitious climate targets and initiatives such as the Tropical Forests Forever Fund are crucial for international climate action, but environmental goals remain difficult to balance with economic interests.
BY VAIBHAV PANDEY
TEAM GEOSTRATA
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