Posted on 13 November
2009 - Brasilia, Brazil: Fewer trees were
cut down in the Amazon this year, creating
an opportunity to apply sound government
policies to halt deforestation in other
damaged forests, WWF says.
Data released Thursday
by the Brazilian government shows that the
deforestation rate in the Amazon fell between
August 2008 and July 2009. Overall, the
deforested region is a 45 percent smaller
than Amazon land cleared the previous year,
or between August 2007 and July 2008.
This is the lowest rate
of deforestation in the Amazon since record-keeping
began in 2000, and down from a high of more
than 27,000 square kms in 2004.
However, the Amazon
did lose 7,008 square kms of forest this
year, according to government officials
and President Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva, who attended a ceremony Thursday
to announce this year’s deforestation figures.
According to Denise
Hamú, WWF-Brazil's CEO, although
it is essential to recognize the efforts
made by the federal and state governments
as well as Brazilian society in general,
further action is required.
"Deforestation needs to continue falling
in a sustainable manner and must take place
in other Brazilian biomes in addition to
the Amazon, such as the Cerrado", she
stated.
Hamú also said
that the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change, to be held in Copenhagen
in December, will be a good opportunity
for Brazil to defend the adoption of clear
and ambitious emission reduction commitments
by the participant countries.
"Deforestation
numbers such as the ones showed today by
President Lula strengthen Brazil's credentials
to lead the climate negotiations and take
the forefront in building a new development
model for the world that respects the environment
and the people", Hamú said.
Among the other biomes,
the most critical situation is found in
the Cerrado. While deforestation in the
Amazon has finally fallen below 10,000 km2,
in the Cerrado it surpasses 20,000 km2.
Despite conservation
efforts, global deforestation continues
at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares
per year, or 36 football fields a minute.
It generates almost 20 per cent of global
greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest
loss has been identified as one of the most
cost-effective ways to keep the world out
of the danger zone of runaway climate change.
According to Cláudio
Maretti, WWF-Brazil's Conservation Director,
apart from decreasing emissions caused by
deforestation in the Amazon the country
needs to work on achieving reductions in
the industry and transport sectors, and
especially in energy generation and transmission
processes.
"After all, the
planet urgently needs expressive greenhouse
gas emission reductions", he said.
Positive efforts made
by the Brazilian government that should
be applied in other areas include: Creating
and implementing protected areas, promoting
sustainable forest management, restricting
public credit for land grabbers and deforesters,
and promoting land tenure regularization
actions. Also important are efforts to minimize
the impacts of large-scale infrastructure
projects such as roads and dams.
In addition, Maretti
said it is essential to implement a consistent
payment mechanism for ecological services
- which consists in compensating producers
who conserve the standing forest.
