Amazon Deforestation - Essay Example

?Amazon Deforestation Introduction Global warming is one of the major concerns of the world today. The problem is caused by the increased greenhouse emissions coming from different countries worldwide. However, findings show that about 15% of carbon emissions come from tropical deforestation (The World Bank 5). This level of emissions is more than the total emissions from all automobiles combined. Therefore, preservation of forests is one of the surest ways of slowing down global warming. This begins by preserving Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, which is at threat of disappearance due to deforestation. Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is one f the world’s largest tropical rainforest. However, the forest has been at threat of deforestation, which began in 1970s. Report indicates that before the deforestation of the forest began, Amazon forest cover was estimated at about 4,100,000 square kilometers. The forest at the time consisted of different types of trees and acted as home for several species of birds, animals, microorganisms, and even human beings. The high forest cover also acted as water catchment area for major rivers in Brazil and neighboring countries. At the same time, the forest received an estimated half of the country’s annual rainfall. However, all these have significantly been lost through deforestation (The World Bank 5). The World Bank report indicates that an estimated 745,289 square kilometers of Amazon forest has been lost since 1970s to 2011 (6). Despite there being a slight decline in the destruction in the recent times following conservation initiatives put by the Brazilian government, more still needs to be done to preserve the forest. As a result, only about 3,354,711 km2 of the forest cover remained by 2011 down from 4,100,000 km2 of the forest cover in 1970 and earlier. The state of Rondonia located on the western part of Brazil is arguably the most deforested part of Amazon rainforest. The state, which once had a forest cover measuring about 51.4 million acres, which is almost equal to the state of Kansas, USA, has since remained bare due to deforestation. Report indicates that about 4,200 km2 of this part of the forest cover had been cleared by 1978. The level of destruction increased to about 67,764 km2 by 2003 (Campari 17). A number of factors have been noted as the leading causes of destruction of Amazon. Top of the causes according to a study is the clearing the forest for pasture. Report indicates that about 38% of the deforestation that took place from1966 to1975 was due to large-scale ranching. This figure has since increased to about 60%, according to the country’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). This is reverberated by the fact that Brazil’s economy depends hugely on beef products exported to different parts of the world. However, much of the ranching expansion has taken place in Amazon, which has more than 80% of heads of cattle. Presently an estimated 214,000 square miles of land have been cleared to give space for pasture. This space is larger than the size of France (Butler par.3). The destruction has also been caused by subsistence agriculture being undertaken by the poor farmers in the forest after the Brazilian government provided land to the landless poor through the country’s land policy. According to Brazil’s land policy, every citizen has a right to use any government piece of land for a period of at least one year and a day. The squatter has the right to acquire ownership of the land after five years hence the right to sell the land. Report indicates that the Brazilian government granted land ownership in Amazon to about 150,000 families from 1995 to 1998. Poor farmers typically have the tendency of clearing land-using fire. In fact, satellite images taken on the forest show numerous images of fires burning across the Amazon (Campari 21). The deforestation of Amazon has also been increased by the move by the Brazilian government to clear the land for purposes of improving its infrastructures. The Brazilian government has cleared a large part of the forest for road construction within the forest. Trans-Amazon highway is one of the major roads in Amazon forest that contributed heavily to the destruction of the forest (Campari 24). Commercial agriculture has also been blamed for the destruction of Amazon forest particularly as regards soybeans planting, which have been cited recently as a major contributor of Amazon destruction. This follows the introduction of new soybeans that thrive in the rainforest climate by scientists. In order for the soybeans to be planted in the forest, the Brazilian government was forced to deforest part of the forest to give space of soybeans. This led to the destruction of a several acres of the forest leaving it bare (The World Bank 7). Logging is also a prime contributor of the deforestation-taking place in Amazon. Despite controlled logging through strict licensing rules, findings show that illegal logging is very prevalent in Amazon forest. Recently, the Brazilian environmental enforcement agency-Ibama seized large consignments of illegally harvested timber. For example, 17 illegal loggers were arrested in 2003 for allegedly cutting about 10,000 hectares worth of timber. Other leading causes of deforestation in Amazon include fires, hydroelectric power projects, and violence in Amazon (The World Bank 7). Deforestation of Amazon rainforest had a profound effect on the lives of animals and human beings that depended on the forest for their livelihood. According to a study conducted by Nusslein of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it was noted that the deforestation resulted in the loss of biodiversity and animals. The deforestation also interfered with the lives of the indigenous Bushmen who used to live in Amazon. As earlier indicated, the destruction of the forest also resulted in the destruction of the water catchment area that saw the levels of water recede significantly. Since the destruction of the forest is a major contributor of greenhouse emissions, this contributed to the long-term effect of global warming due to environmental change (Butler par.4). However, going by the statistics, Brazilian government has made a significant move aimed at preserving Amazon. Firstly, the Brazilian has created national parks within the forest to ensure that the forest is protected and conserve. The government has also enacted laws aimed at protecting the forest. In addition, Amazon is now under 24 hours of satellite surveillance to ensure that illegal activities in the forest are detected in time ad appropriate actions taken against the offenders (Butler par.6). Conclusion Amazon is one of the largest forests that have a lot of significance to Brazil and its neighboring countries. However, going by the spate of destruction witnessed since 1970s, Amazon may soon be no more. As such, the Brazilian government needs to ensure that the forest is adequately conserved to prevent further destruction of the forest. This will help reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere due to the destruction of the forest. Works Cited Butler, Rhett A. “Deforestation in the Amazon.” Web. 7 May 2013 http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html. Campari, Joao S. The Economics of Deforestation in the Amazon: Dispelling the Myths. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005. Print. The World Bank. Causes of Deforestation of the Brazilian Rainforest. Washington, D.C: World Bank Publications, 2004. Print. Read More