| 07/12/2005
- Brasilia, Brazil – The Brazilian government announced
that the deforestation of the Amazon fell by 30 per cent
in the twelve months up to August. This is the first reduction
in the deforestation rates since 2001 and 2000 and the largest
since the 1995-96 period, when the rate fell 37 pre cent
from a high of 29,050km2. "The
challenge is now to further advance with this decrease,"
stressed Denise Hamu, CEO of WWF-Brazil.
According to WWF-Brazil, a number
of factors may explain the decrease. These include a reduction
in the price of soy, Brazil's most important agricultural
commodity, which may have reduced the incentive to cut
down the Amazon. The price of soy dropped between March
2004 and August 2005 by 36 per cent.
"If agriculture commodities do
recover, those who destroy the forest will choose to pay
a fine rather than stop cutting down trees," said
Mauro Armelin, WWF-Brazil's public policy officer. "What
we want to know is what annual percentage decrease does
the government want to achieve? If the government has
no clear goals, it will be very difficult to assess long
term plans and results."
"The government as a whole and
not just one ministry should work to halting deforestation
in the Amazon," added Claudio Maretti, head of WWF-Brazil's
protected areas programme.
"More protected areas should
be created, a forest based economy supported, and illegal
land occupancy stopped." |
