Amazon Coalition Against Deforestation Launched – DW – 08/09/2023

the Amazon countries This Tuesday (08.08.2023) I decided to launch a regional coalition to combat deforestation, with the aim of preventing the largest tropical forest on the planet from being accessed “point of no return“.

eight countries AmazonAt the summit meeting in the Brazilian city of Belém, he agreed in a declaration to “create the Amazon Coalition to Combat Deforestation,” as well as to strengthen their cooperation against organized crime in the region and to promote sustainable development.

This alliance will work to achieve national deforestation targets for each country, such as that of Brazil, which it plans to end by 2030, as agreed by members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA).

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, greeted the Presidents of Colombia, Gustavo Petro. Luis Arce from Bolivia; from Peru, Dina Boulwart; So are the Prime Minister of Guyana, Mark Phillips, and the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez. Their foreign ministers were represented by Ecuador and Suriname.

The document did not set common goals for deforestation, as had been the expectations of the expert teams and civil society. But Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said after the first day of the summit that there had been a “consensus” and it was “the largest presidential meeting in the Amazon region” so far.

“It has never been urgent to resume and expand our cooperation,” said Lula da Silva, which includes 60% of the Amazon.

Considered for years the lungs of the planet, the Amazon is heading – according to scientific teams – to a point of no return, where it will begin to emit more carbon than it absorbs, exacerbating climate change.

Between 1985 and 2021, South America’s forests have already lost 17% of their vegetation cover, due to activities such as cattle ranching, as well as illegal deforestation and mining, according to data from the research project. MapBiomas Amazonia.

On August 9, the ACTO countries will meet representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Indonesia, two countries that also have tropical forests on their territory, as well as other guests such as Germany, France and Norway.

The aim is to achieve a common position to present at the 28th COP of the United Nations on Climate Change to be held this year in Dubai. COP30 will be hosted by Belém in 2025.

Among the commitments agreed upon by the chiefs, the “active participation” of indigenous peoples in forest conservation plans is also taken into account. Indigenous people are considered by specialists to be an important barrier against deforestation, because of the sustainable way in which these communities exploit their resources.

likes (afp, efe, Reuters)