Amazon countries determined to preserve their rainforest amid climate crisis

The eight countries of the Organization of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (OTCA) they decided on Saturday in Leticia, Colombiapromote urgent measures to preserve the rain forest biggest in the world.

“What is done in one corner of South America has repercussions in another. That’s why our cooperation is so important.” said the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who together with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, closed a two-day technical-scientific meeting promoted by Bogotá, with a view to the fourth ACTO summit in August in the Brazilian city of Belém.

ACTO delegates, made up of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, agreed on the need to avoid exceeding the point of no return in terms of the degradation of the Amazon, affected by deforestation, exploitation of minerals and oil and the extension of agricultural and livestock frontiers.

“To sustain the Amazon, according to science, we need to keep 80% of its forests standing and not manage to go beyond 20% of deforestation, and unfortunately we are already at 17%.”, expressed the Colombian Minister of the Environment, Susana Muhamad, during the meeting.

He added that “lose the amazonreaching the point of no return, has irreversible consequences for global climate change”.

Let the rich comply

But political decisions are insufficient without financial support to conserve the Amazon rainforest, which is home to 10% of all species of flora and fauna, and has the largest freshwater reserve on Earth, including a “TRUE” underground ocean, Lula stressed.

“Save life on the planet and overcome the climate crisis requires an investment of US$3.3 trillion (…) a year and 30 times less, which is 100,000 (millions), they have not even been fulfilled”Petro said in turn.

The first president of the Colombian left alluded to the commitment of rich countries to contribute 100,000 million dollars to face the climate crisis that arose from the 2009 Copenhagen summit.

“Europe has not reached that far, USA, Chinaand they are the ones who pollute the world”he added.

Lula cited that the principle of common responsibilities “but differentiated” remains central and held that “We will have to demand, together, that the rich countries fulfill their commitments” in the face of the climate crisis.

“After all, they have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases”pointed out the Brazilian president, pointing out that “Whoever has the largest forest reserves and the greatest biodiversity deserves greater representation” as is the case of the Amazonian nations in organizations such as the Global Environment Facility.

Zero deforestation until 2030

Lula emphasized that it is the first time in history that Brazil and Colombia have progressive governments that share the commitment to place the Amazon at the center of their policies.

He warned that deforestation in the Amazon – which occupies 40% of South America – reduces rainfall in the region, threatening the water supply, and announced that his country will institutionalize an Amazon Regional Observatory that will guide public conservation policies and generate alerts on droughts , floods, fires and contaminations.

In the technical-scientific meeting, topics were addressed “fundamental” such as the protection of indigenous peoples, bioeconomy and the fight against transnational crimes, he reported.

The Amazon jungle has 50 million inhabitants. In its vast thickness inhabit 400 indigenous peoples who speak 300 different languages, according to the Brazilian president.

Brazil, which occupies most of the Amazon, faces accelerating deforestation. Lula indicated that his government (2023-2027) will reduce the illegal felling of trees to zero until 2030.

“This is a commitment that the Amazonian countries can assume together at the Belém summit”held.

Source: AFP