Forestry

THE AMAZON PROTECTED THROUGH POLICY

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and mostly contained within Brazil, making Brazilian forestry policy one of the most important climate-related policies in the world. Roughly half the slowdown in deforestation in the late-2000s was a result of deliberate government policy. Having greatly reduced large-scale deforestation, Brazil’s challenge now is to address small-scale deforestation, which may require different policy approaches.

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Forestry

regionBrazil

These graphs show the changes in deforestation, deforestation drivers, and land use policy in Brazil

 
 
 

Emissions Annual area deforested in Amazon region in Brazil

Deforestation declined rapidly, particularly after major policy changes in 2004 and again in 2008.

     
     
     
     

    Emissions Drivers Commodity prices

    Common drivers of deforestation, such as commodity prices, and land protection appear to have changed deforestation patterns, with large scale deforestation declining much more rapidly than small scale (e.g. tracts of less than 25 hectares).

       
       
       
       

      Policy Area of land under government protection

      As an example of increased Brazilian policy efforts, Brazil has increased efforts to reduce deforestation, and the amount of land under government protection has increased significantly since 2001.

         
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