Tag : MAAP

Sao Paulo: Destruction across the Amazon rainforest so far this year has slowed dramatically, down 55.8 per cent from the same period a year ago in a major turnaround for the region vital to curbing climate change, according to an analysis provided to Reuters. The analysis by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation's MAAP forest monitoring program offers a first look at 2023 deforestation across the nine Amazon countries. Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia all showed declining forest loss. "These data show there still is hope for the Amazon", said Matt Finer, an ecologist and MAAP's director. The Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, helps to curb global warming because its trees absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The drop coincides with a shift since last year to pro-conservation governments under leftist presidents in Brazil and Colombia. Analysts credit most of the decline to stronger environmental law enforcement in Brazil - home to the majority of the forest - under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who assumed office on January 1. His predecessor Jair Bolsonaro had advocated clearing rainforest land for mining, ranching and other uses. The success at reining in deforestation will give Amazon countries more leverage to push for conservation funding at the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate summit, experts said. Amazon old-growth forest loss fell to 9,117 square kilometers from Jan. 1 to November 8, down 55.8 per cent from the same period in 2022, according to MAAP. That is an area about the size of Puerto Rico but still the lowest level since at least 2019, the first year more accurate rapid satellite deforestation alerts became available. Carlos Nobre, an earth systems scientist at University of Sao Paulo and a co- ...