Brazil's newest plan to cut deforestation

Between 1970 and now, Brazil lost more than 600,000 sq km (232 000 sq miles) of Amazon rainforest. Deforestation rate is still alarming and not only Brazil but world itself wants to cut deforestation on Amazon rainforest, mostly because forests play crucial role in fight against global warming because they sink carbon. Logging and burning in Amazon rainforest releases about 400 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, which is about 80 % of total of Brazil's emission of greenhouse gases.

Brazil's government announced new optimistic plan under which Brazil would cut deforestation by 70 percent in the period of next ten years. In order for this plan to be successful Brazil plans to put an emphasis on reducing the damage wreaked by illegal loggers and ranchers. Brazil hopes that such plan would give additional boost to increasing the number of contributors to the Amazon Fund because Brazil needs a lot of money to save forests. Environment Minister Carlos Minc hopes for more funding because just in terms of avoided deforestation in the Amazon, the plan foresees a reduction of 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide that won't be emitted up to 2018.

Brazil plans to cut deforestation by 70 % in the next 10 years

However giving money is one thing and spending it wisely completely another thing so what both world and Brazil will have to do is ensure transparency of funds so they would be actually used to reduce deforestation, and not to end in pockets of some corrupted politicians. Money needs to be primarily used to reduce poverty because many people in Brazil are forced to create farms just to survive.

This plan looks to be the first step in the right direction but it will take lots of other steps before we can talk of any success.