The recent discovery that deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon reached a 15-year high with a 22% increase from the previous year (2020) has raised serious concerns about the state of our world’s largest tropical rainforest. This alarming rate of deforestation results from various factors, and it comes with dire consequences for the global climate, local and global biodiversity, agriculture, water availability, and human health. Alongside this, a study demonstrated that Amazon Forests have started emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) rather than absorbing it, which is exacerbating global climate change.
Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon
An understanding into the drivers of deforestation in the Amazon indicates the existence of multiple factors.
Cattle ranching is one of the primary causes, with forest areas being cut down or burned for creating land for grazing cattle. Brazil plays a significant role in this scenario as a leading exporter of beef to countries like the United States and China, with the export volume reaching 1.82 million tons in 2019. Further, small-scale agriculture has been identified as another major cause of deforestation due to the need for clear land for crops and grazing.
Fires, an uncharacteristic element to the rainforests, can be largely attributed to deforestation. Despite their name, rainforests contain high levels of moisture which typically protect them from fires. However, the practice of ‘slash and burn’ for land clearance increases the chances of fires in these regions. Industrial agriculture operation is yet another driver of deforestation that’s becoming common in the Amazon Rainforest.
Additional reasons include mining operations that target minerals such as gold, and increased government incentives which lead to infrastructure expansion in the form of roads and dams.
About the Amazon Rainforests
Amazon rainforests, the world’s most extensive tropical rainforests, are situated in the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America. These rainforests are extremely humid, receiving over 200 cm rainfall annually, and they thrive within a uniform temperature range of 20°C to 35°C.
The biome spans across eight rapidly developing countries along with French Guiana, an overseas territory of France. It hosts almost a fifth of the world’s land species, provides a home for about 30 million people including numerous indigenous groups, and several isolated tribes. The huge basin covers over six million square kilometers, nearly twice the size of India, and produces 20% of the world’s freshwater flow into the oceans.
Efforts to Combat Deforestation
Recognizing the detrimental effects of deforestation, several initiatives have been put in place to address this issue. Brazil was among several nations that pledged to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 during the COP26 climate summit. Simultaneously, the LEAF (Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance) Coalition was introduced at the Leaders Summit on Climate, 2021. Moreover, the REDD+ initiatives aim to mitigate climate change through sustainable management of forests, conservation of forest carbon stock, and reduction in emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.
Last Modified: February 13, 2024