This is a strong signal to countries seeking investment that they need to demonstrate sustainability. Brazil will need to send the right signals to the international community if it wants to capture sorely needed financial flows. The current economy of the Amazon rainforest is mostly extraction-based and the main source of income for local communities is turning forestland to pasture, crops and logging.
However, studies show deforestation does not translate into well-being for people living in the Amazon, nor does reducing deforestation jeopardize agricultural production. There are methods to increase production without destroying the forest , like the recovery of already degraded areas as mentioned previously.
In this sense, policies to stop deforestation are not enough; local communities need an alternative source of income. The transition to a low-carbon economy must therefore create new jobs and opportunities for indigenous populations, local rural families, and grassroots groups, as well as provide needed infrastructure without sacrificing biodiversity.
It is important to note that indigenous communities play a key role in conservation by serving as forest stewards. In order to protect their communities and safeguard this role for the future, it is essential to secure their land rights.
Such a task would require coordination and modest investment but could lead to important social, environmental and economic benefits. Climate action in Brazil will be decided by the response to the current crises in the Amazon. The region and its cities should be able to lead the transition to a low-carbon economy in Brazil. Actions Brazil takes in the Amazon rainforest region will help determine not just the future of local communities, but also whether the world will be able to avoid the worst impacts of the climate emergency.
WRI relies on the generosity of donors like you to turn research into action. You can support our work by making a gift today or exploring other ways to give. This website uses cookies to provide you with an improved user experience. In both cases, loggers cut down specific high-value trees, but Asner said the forest they leave behind is dramatically different. In addition, law-abiding companies will have to keep out the less scrupulous — as timber roads often become conduits for illegal logging, hunting and slash-and-burn agriculture.
The technology is there to support the monitoring and the rest is will. On paper at least, the government has tried to ensure the will is there.
Under the law, one government agency and another non-profit organization will have the authority to monitor the logging and management of concessions in national forests. In addition, the forest service will monitor aspects of the contract, which include technical capability and investment in local communities.
And companies are required to bring in an independent auditor at least every three years. But doubts remain as to whether the Brazilian government has enough trained staff to oversee the millions of acres it hopes to put up for bid. My PhD research at the Grantham Centre focused on improving our understanding of one degradation type: selective logging.
Most tropical forests only contain a few species that are commercially valuable for wood products. Selective logging targets these, focusing on the most valuable. When this subset of trees is harvested the forest is left to regenerate for years. Then there is another round of cutting. Unfortunately, selective logging has been identified as a key driver of tropical forest loss, because many forest patches are eventually cleared when the selective logging frontier moves elsewhere.
Last year my team published a paper outlining a methodology to detect and map selective logging. Our algorithm understands what satellite imagery looks like when trees have been cut down. You can read the open-access paper about this research here. Our newest paper scales up the proof-of-concept previously published.
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