Solutions: Government

(Conservation International 2013) 

Tropical governments have not shown much interest in conserving the Amazon rain forest.  In fact, some have pushed citizens into rain forest land, forcing them to find a way to farm, which means utilizing the slash and burn method to clear land (Butler 2012).  Although there have been some laws restricting logging and preserving areas, there have not been enough inspectors to enforce those laws (Chang 2007).  However, in recent years several nations that contain parts of the Amazon have taken steps to reduce the amount of slash and burn.  The most prominent effort is the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation(REDD) plan proposed in 2005 (Boucher 2011).  

By using REDD, countries put a monetary value on the carbon that is stored in forests so that wealthy countries pay developing countries if they protect their forests (Boucher 2011).  For example, Norway has promised 2.5 billion dollars to compensate for Brazil’s REDD effort (Boucher 2011).  Brazil has planned to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2020 (Boucher 2011).  To implement this plan, the government has kept more than half of the forest as indigenous reserves or protected areas and has more strongly enforced logging laws (Boucher 2011).  The United Nations also started its UN-REDD program in 2008 to help countries across the world reach “REDD readiness” (UN-REDD 2009).  The UN supports Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname in their efforts at reducing carbon emissions and becoming more environmentally friendly (UN-REDD 2009b).  So far, the REDD program has been a useful method of encouraging the conservation of the Amazon.

Boucher, D. (2011) Brazil’s Success in Reducing Deforestation. Global Warming. Union of Concerned

Scientists. (Date of Access: May 15, 2013.) http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/ forest_solutions/brazils-reduction-deforestation.html

Butler, R. (2012) Subsistence Agriculture and Deforestation. Tropical Rainforests. Mongabay.com. (Date of Access: May 13, 2013.) http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0804.htm

Chang, J. (2007) As Brazil’s rain forest burns down, planet heats up. McClatchy. (Date of Access: May 10, 2013.) http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2007/09/08/19533/as-brazils-rain-forest-burns- down.html#.UZWiJcouPNg

Conservation International. (2013) REDD+. Conservation International. (Date of Access: May 16, 2013) http://www.conservation.org/learn/climate/solutions/mitigation/Pages/climate_REDD.aspx

UN-REDD Programme. (2009) About REDD+. UN-REDD Programme. (Date of Access: May 16, 2013.) http://www.un-redd.org/AboutREDD/tabid/102614/Default.aspx

UN-REDD Programme. (2009b) Partner Countries. UN-REDD Programme. (Date of Access: May 16, 2013.) http://www.un-redd.org/Partner_Countries/tabid/102663/Default.aspx