Some big steps have already been taken towards impeding deforestation. Brazil’s initiatives in recent years are a great example of deforestation initiatives with results. In order to facilitate this, “The UN established the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programme, or REDD+, at the 2007 climate summit in Bali” (howtoconserve). Because of deforestation’s great impact on global warming (being the second largest carbon emitter worldwide), global attention has been brought to the issue. The program works by paying countries for preserving forests for carbon storage, and “Norway has emerged as a leading force in forest conservation by pledging $1 billion to rainforest preservation efforts in the Amazon” (howtoconserve). Since Brazil’s initiatives starting from 2005 to 2006, they are projected to reduce deforestation 70 – 80 % by 2017.
Brazil’s REDD+ program has multiple parts. The government helps facilitate it with help from the global community.
One step is making rainforest lands protected. “Over half of the Brazilian Amazon is now designation as national parks or indigenous lands, effectively protecting an area larger than Greenland” (howtoconserve). However, indigenous land rights are also recognized. Helping to preserve their way of life.
Industries have been very influential in deforestation. Many companies, wary of “mounting political pressure and bad publicity associated with rainforest destruction” (how to conserve), have started boycotts of rainforest goods. This includes many slaughterhouses and meat industries in Brazil, and even worldwide corporations like Cargills and McDonalds. Large boycotts of rainforest products have been very successful at reducing deforestation, while also not hurting the cattle and soybean industries as a whole in Brazil.
Brazil has come up with effective ways to monitor deforestation. The Brazilian space agency has launched a DETER stellite specifically to monitor rainforests. “DETER monitors changes in forest cover in real time, producing a report of deforestation hotspots for law enforcement every two weeks” (howtoconserve). These areas are then policed through “focusing their efforts on patrolling roads leading into the rainforest” and “high profile fines for violators” (howtoconserve). Stricter policing of roads has proven effective in discouraging illegal deforestation.
There are also some regional programs. They mainly work with local communities by providing economic payments and incentives to preserve forest land they own.
Brazil’s program has been very successful very quickly. Not only has it reduced deforestation by over half, but it has also done it in a way that helps local people and doesn’t hurt the economy. However, there are still problem areas and even Brazil isn’t in the clear yet. Indonesia, despite instituting a similar program, hasn’t seen a similar decrease in deforestation. The program in Brazil has also been too short to see if it’s effective long-term. There is definitely a lot of reason to have hope, but we’re only at the beginning of stopping deforestation. The global community must continue to show that this is an issue they care about, and an issue they will support. Halting deforestation is an uphill battle, and if we stop short our efforts will be wasted.
https://howtoconserve.org/2015/09/04/saving-the-amazon/
http://theredddesk.org/markets-standards/brazil-amazon-fund
http://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/conservation-initiatives/redd
Saving Rainforests 