State of the rainforest 2014 - page 32

STATE OF THE RAINFOREST 2014 32
Brazil is the country with the second largest forest cover on Earth,
more than 5 million km2. Two thirds of the country’s forest cover is
concentrated in the Amazon, which still contains approximately
80% of the original forest. The country has an enormous forest
area, but deforestation rates in the 1990s were worrying. Brazil
was losing almost 1% of its forest area annually. In 1995, the first
year for which we have data that allow calculation of deforestation
in all biomes, the area deforested reached 54,000 km2, an area
bigger than Costa Rica. In the Amazon, deforestation that year
reached an all-time high since measurements began; slightly
more than 29,000 km2.
Since 2005, however, deforestation rates have declined rapidly. In
2009, the last year for which there are official data for all biomes,
deforestation fell to 17,800 km2, and more recent estimates indicate
a total deforestation of between 12 and 15 thousand km2 in 2012.
The greatest reduction in deforestation occurred in the Amazon.
Various studies published in recent years seek to identify the
factors which led to such significant reduction of deforestation in
a relatively short time. There is broad agreement that the following
helped in reducing deforestation: implementation of the Plan for
Protection and Combating Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAM);
the economic framework for agriculture and cattle-raising activities;
and initiatives from local governments, civil society and the Public
Prosecutor’s Office.
Let us look more closely at the PPCDAM. In 2004, just after the
publication of the deforestation data for 2003/2004, fighting
deforestation in the Amazon was declared a national priority. A
task-force involving 13 ministries was created to elaborate a plan
for combating deforestation. This plan, which became operational
in March 2005, included actions within three areas: command and
control (or law enforcement), regularization of land use and tenure,
and incentives for sustainable economic activities.
Brazil: Forest hero, but still a
deforestation champion
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Annual deforestation
Thousand square kilometres
Source: Nepstad, D., et. al., Slowing Amazon deforestation through public policy and interventions in beef and soy supply chains, Science, 2014
Fighting deforestation becomes
a national priority
Plan for Protection and
Combating Deforestation
in the Amazon (PPCDAM)
The Forest Code increases the
size of the "legal reserve"
Each property in the Amazon has
to maintain 80% forest cover
Public Forest Law
Soy moratorium
Amazon Fund
is created
PPCDAM phase 2
The Brazilian Institute
for Space Research
launches DETER
Large police campaign
against illegal logging
and deforestation
Embargo on products
coming from
deforested areas
A system for detection
of forest degradation
break the economic chain
that upholds deforestation
The Brazilian Institute for Space
Research launches DEGRAD
Regulates forest
concessions Green Municipalities Program
New Forest Code
Amnesty for previous
illegal deforestation
Slow-down in creation of
protected areas
and Indigenous land
Restrict access to credit
for municipalities with
high deforestation rates
A system for detection of
deforestation in real time
Reducing deforestation in Brazil
Law enforcement and policies adopted
Beef moratorium
By Tasso Azevedo Tasso Azevedo is forest and climate consultant, former Director General, Brazilian Forest Service