Preservation of Amazon Rainforests

Why in the News?

Brazil’s Amazon Summit has concluded recently with a hope to protect the tropical rainforests of the Amazon forests that has been facing a threat to its existence.

The Brazil’s Amazon Summit:

1. The 2-day Summit aimed at bringing convergence among countries for conserving the Amazon and other rainforests around the world.
2. It was participated by the 8 nations of South America that has the Amazon rainforests and forms the organisation of Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO).
3. The members of ACTO include: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

4. Outcomes of the Summit: Signing of the final joint declaration called the Belem Declaration
   1. to drive economic development in the region
   2. preventing Amazon’s ongoing demise “from reaching a point of no return”.
   3. countries left to pursue their individual deforestation goals.
   4. It has also promised to assert the indigenous rights and protections and to cooperate on water management, health, common negotiating positions at climate summits and sustainable development.
   5. established a science body called Amazon IPCC to meet annually and produce authoritative reports on science related to the Amazon rainforest.
   6. Proposal of a deforestation monitoring system since Amazon is close to a “tipping point”. when the carbon emitted by the forest will surpass the carbon absorbed by the trees, transforming the region into a dry savanna and, in the process, releasing tons of carbon into the atmosphere. 

5. Shortcomings of the Summit:
   1. No efforts for adoption of Brazil’s pledge to end illegal deforestation by 2030 and Colombia’s pledge to halt new oil exploration was made applicable to all countries in the summit.
   2. No deadline on ending illegal gold mining was finalised.
   3. The summit did not include any shared commitments to zero deforestation by 2030.
   4. No comprehensive pact to protect their own forests to combat climate change.

About:

The Amazon Rainforests:

1. A moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America.
2. The region encompasses territories of 98 countries and more than 3300 formally acknowledged indigenous territories.
3. Brazil covers about 60% of the forest land followed by Peru and Colombia.
4. Amazon represents over half of Earth's remaining rainforests and it comprises the largest and most biodiverse tract of tropical rainforest in the world.
5. The Amazon River flowing through the dense forests of Amazon, is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the disputed longest river system in the world in comparison to the Nile.
6. Threats faced by Amazon forests:
   1. Ranching & Agriculture with cattle pastures occupy 80% of the deforested areas in the Amazon, thus contributing to the single largest factor of deforestation and exacerbating the effects of Climate Change.
   2. Damming for building hydroelectric projects have led to widespread forest loss inundating large tracts of rainforest displacing indigenous peoples, and adding carbon to the atmosphere (as the submerged wood rots).
   3. Logging and Mining activities

• Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometres (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed