According to the government, significantly less rainforest has been destroyed in the Brazilian Amazon since the beginning of the year than in the previous year. President Lula announced in January that he wanted to better protect the region.
Since new Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office, deforestation in the Amazon region has decreased significantly. According to the South American country’s Ministry of the Environment, the area deforested in the region fell 31% in the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year. In contrast, in the Cerrado, the humid savannas in southeastern Brazil, deforestation increased by 35% compared to the previous year.
Lula began his third term on New Year’s Day. In his two previous terms, between 2003 and 2010, the former union leader was not exactly known as an environmentalist. But now he has pledged to strengthen environmental and climate protection. The police recently carried out a large-scale operation against illegal gold prospectors. According to his plans, illegal deforestation should end by 2030.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Lula presented on Monday a comprehensive plan to protect the Amazon. Among other things, it provides for the immediate confiscation of half of all illegally used land within protected areas and the designation of three million hectares of additional protected areas by 2027. Lula’s program continues a project launched in 2004 during his first mandate, but which Bolsonaro had suspended.
Baerbock wants to provide millions more
The federal chancellor, Annalena Baerbock, was also on the Amazon road on Wednesday, campaigning for international support in the fight against deforestation. “We’ve already paid millions for the Amazon Fund in the past. This trip also serves to make millions more available for that,” said the green policy on his trip to Latin America in the Brazilian city of Belém, in the Amazon region.
The Amazon rainforest extends over nine countries, mainly in Brazil. It is considered a CO2 sink and plays an important role in the international fight against climate change. During the three-year term of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation and burning operations increased sharply. The ex-military saw the region primarily as untapped economic potential and gave ranchers and prospectors wide latitude when it came to land grabbing. He cut funds from the controlling authorities or deprived them of their powers.