Although considered the green lungs of the earth, in recent years, the Amazon forest has been continuously devastated by logging, rampant mineral exploitation, and forest fires for agriculture and livestock farming... Many areas have been wiped out, pushing a number of rare animal and plant species into extinction.
In a study published in the journal Science, scientists said that the Amazon rainforest has been devastated much more severely than previously reported. Accordingly, deforestation in Brazil, the country that accounts for 60% of the Amazon area, has skyrocketed in the period 2019-2022. In addition, the number of fires caused by human activities and dry weather are also the reasons for the shrinking forest area.
The diverse flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest.
Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said that in order to preserve the Amazon, the area destroyed cannot exceed the 20% limit. Many scientists warn that if the above limit is broken, this precious asset will not be able to recover and may turn into grasslands within decades. Worryingly, the rate of deforestation in the Amazon is now up to 17%.
Experts say the above situation not only poses a challenge to countries in the region, but also to the global fight against climate change. With an area of nearly 7 million square kilometers, spread across 8 countries, the Amazon rainforest is home to about 1 million indigenous people from 500 different tribes and is home to more than 3 million species of animals and plants.
According to new research published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, the Amazon absorbs 26,000 tons of air pollutants each year, while also saving about $2 billion a year in health care costs for treating respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, by absorbing a large amount of CO2 emissions and providing about 20% of the oxygen on Earth, the world's largest tropical forest plays an extremely important role in limiting the impact of climate change. US climate envoy John Kerry warned that the world cannot achieve the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5oC without protecting the Amazon. Meanwhile, Colombia's Environment Minister stated that the destruction of this forest to the point of no return would lead to unpredictable consequences for global climate change.
In response to the Amazon’s urgent call for help, the ACTO Summit is an opportunity for countries to create a turning point to reverse the degradation of this tropical forest. Brazilian President Lula da Silva affirmed that forest conservation and security along the borders between countries are the main contents of the conference. In addition, ACTO member countries also proposed a project to regenerate about 30 million hectares of forest.
Cost is one of the big questions in the effort to revitalize the Amazon. Research by the World Resources Institute and the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate shows that Brazil needs to invest about $533 billion between now and 2050 to protect the Amazon and turn it into a sustainable economic growth engine.
In this context, the Colombian Government believes that the ACTO Summit is an opportunity to promote multilateralism in addressing issues related to the Amazon, because the survival of the forest has a major impact on the global climate agenda. In fact, forest conservation has received the attention of many world powers. Since taking office in early 2023, the Government of Brazilian President Lula da Silva has revived the Amazon Forest Protection Fund and continued to lobby world leaders to contribute to efforts to save the forest. The Fund has received significant support from the UK, France, and Germany.
According to the Brazilian Government, thanks to its tireless efforts, in the first 7 months of 2023, the area of Amazon rainforest deforested in the country decreased by about 43% compared to the same period in 2022. However, experts emphasize that the journey to rescue the Amazon is still long and thorny, requiring the cooperation and contribution of not only countries in the region but also the international community.
According to Nhan Dan Newspaper
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