Deforestation: Comprehensive policy for a sustainable development of the Amazon

1. Environment Minister Marina Silva reaffirmed that the new Brazilian government will adopt a comprehensive policy for the sustainable development of the Amazon and stressed that there are on-going discussions involving other ministries (Agriculture, Transports, Agrarian Reform, Science and Technology) and stakeholders (research institutes and NGOs) about the deforestation rate in the region. Recent data published by INPE (Brazilian National Institute for Space Research) indicates an increase of about 40% of estimated deforestation in the south and west of the Amazon during the August 2001-August 2002 period compared to the previous period (2000-2001). Deforestation had been stable at 18,000 sq. km. for the previous five years but increased to 25,500 sq. km. in 2002. All data about deforestation is now available to the public at the website www.obt.inpe.br. A real time monitoring system will be introduced so that preventive action can be taken when necessary.

2. A Joint Communiqué of the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Presidency, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of the Environment expressed preoccupation with the expansion of deforestation and determined a technical analysis of the historic series of INPE data (1997-2002) in order to: identify the agents of deforestation; ascertain if the limits of the areas where deforestation is authorized and those of the areas where it is forbidden have been trespassed and to what extent; define areas where emergency measures for the protection against deforestation should be implemented. The findings will be discussed with all interested parties.

3. The deforestation is mainly (75%) in the so-called "arc of deforestation" - eastern and southern edges of the forest in the states of Rondônia, Mato Grosso and Pará. A distinction must be made between what is called the Amazon forest and the Legal Amazônia. The Amazon forest covers 48% of the Brazilian territory (414 million hectares) and is still largely preserved, whereas the Legal Amazônia corresponds to 60% of the country's area (511 million hectares) and comprises also savannahs and overlapping forest zones. There are 20 million people living in the Legal Amazon and their right to economic and social development cannot be overlooked. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has recently stated that the Amazon should not be viewed in a static perspective as if it were a "reserve". Moreover, the national efforts to promote sustainable development and protection of the region against environmental degradation must be backed by international cooperation. The sustainable use of the Amazon natural resources is promoted by the government through various initiatives such as the Sustainable Businesses Project but its success depends on the access to markets and on fair conditions of trade abroad.

4. The rain forest is a fragile ecosystem that can be affected by changes in human activity patterns and by climate change. Scientific research conducted jointly by Brazilian and international institutions - amongst which the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research - concluded that the Amazon forest will inevitably perish if the current trend in global climate change is not reversed. The global reduction in carbon emissions - and the developed countries have major responsibilities in this area - is a necessary condition for the survival of the rain forest.

2nd July, 2003