<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/02/amazon-deforestation-falls-over-60-compared-with-last-july-says-brazilian-minister>
"Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by at least 60% in July compared to
the same month last year, the environment minister, Marina Silva, has told the
Guardian.
The good news comes ahead of a regional summit that aims to prevent South
America’s largest biome from hitting a calamitous tipping point.
The exact figure, which is based on the Deter satellite alert system, will be
released in the coming days, but independent analysts described the preliminary
data as “incredible” and said the improvement compared with the same month last
year could be the best since 2005.
The rapid progress highlights the importance of political change. A year ago,
under the far-right then president, Jair Bolsonaro, the Amazon was suffering
one of the worst cutting and burning seasons in recent history. But since a new
administration led by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took power at the start of the
year, the government has penalised land grabbers, mounted paramilitary
operations to drive out illegal miners, demarcated more indigenous land and
created more conservation areas.
The results will bolster Lula, Marina and other Brazilian hosts of an Amazon
summit designed to strengthen regional cooperation that will take place in
Belém on 8-9 August with the participation of eight rainforest nations: Brazil,
Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.
Silva said the acute threat of the climate crisis, which has brought record
heat to many South American countries, meant the summit had to be more than a
show of unity; it needed to produce concrete and continuous results to ensure
the Amazon did not reach a point where it starts to dry up and die off, which
scientists have warned is drawing closer.
She has proposed that each country produces an action plan, that they jointly
create a scientific panel to keep them updated with the latest data, and that
they share best practices to achieve the three goals of the summit: protection
of the forest and traditional peoples, and to combat inequality and strengthen
democracy."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
