Action

Advocating For Anti-Deforestation

Zero Deforestation Laws

Zero deforestation means no forest areas are cleared or converted. This law was passed by the Paraguayan government in 2004 which prohibits the conversion of forested area in Paraguay’s Eastern Region. After the law has passed, there was a decrease of deforestation by about 90 percent. Paraguay previously had the second-highest deforestation rate in the world, and nearly 7 million hectares of Atlantic Forest were lost to slash-and-burn methods of agriculture and ranching. The law was set to expire in December 2013 but has now been extended to further 5 years. WWF is working with the government of Paraguay and local NGOs to implement financial and legal mechanisms such as payments for environmental services, to truly achieve a Zero Net Deforestation in the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay.

"NASA Earth Observatory image by Michael Taylor, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland."

REDD

Brazil’s success in reducing deforestation

Brazil has reduced deforestation in the amazon upto 70 percent over nine years (2004 to 2013). The country’s emissions reduction to 2011 represents a drop (in km2/year deforested) of 62% compared to emissions in the 1990s. Brazil greatly expanded its network of indigenous reserves and protected areas. (both federal and state levels). Indigenous people stopped illegal encroachment by non-indigenous ranchers, farmers, and miners - Indigenous people had rights reinforced by official titles.

Brazil deforestation rates decrease from the 2004 until 2013

Brazilian Amazon deforestation affected by the carbon dioxide emissions

In 2006 and 2009, Brazilian NGOs conducted widely publicized exposes of the role the soybean and beef industries have played in deforesting the Amazon; the resulting publicity led to commitments from those industries not to sell products raised on deforested land. Satellite data makes it clear that the clearing of forest for soybeans has been reduced practically to zero. Brazil has achieved this success while simultaneously increasing agricultural production and significantly reducing hunger and poverty. During the last decade the country has enjoyed a high rate of GDP growth and exported large amounts of beef and soy despite the world recession.

Despite changes in the deforestation rate, soybean production and cattle herd increase gradually over time.

Sprout a life

What Is It?

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
It is a idea of creating an international framework to halt deforestation.

Proposed

REDD was proposed by developing countries in 2005 as an international strategy by which tropical countries would reduce deforestation (which is responsible for about 10 percent of all global warming pollution) and be compensated by wealthy nations for any resulting economic losses.

Supporters

Two of the supporters of the concept were Norway, which pledged $2.5 billion for the effort, and Brazil, which announced a national plan to reduce its deforestation rate 80 percent by 2020.

Results

The idea of a national, performance-based approach to reduced emissions from deforestation was first developed by research institutes in Brazil and proposed to the UNFCCC in a submission by Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica with technical support from the Environmental Defense Fund in 2005/2006.

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Control of Erosion

One of the main causes of deforestation is clearing land for agriculture. There are methods that can be used to help maintain soil quality and include matching crops and farming techniques with soil and terrain to reduce erosion. Preserving soil quality will reduce deforestation because cleared areas can be farmed for much longer without having to resort to clearing new land. So then farmers won’t be continually clearing new terrain to replace depleted fields.

Sustainable Forestry

Consists of timber harvesting methods designed to do as little damage to the environment as possible. Replanting trees after logging, limiting soil erosion, mitigating damage to wildlife habitat and maintaining water quality are the cornerstones of sustainable forestry.

Reforestation

Plant more trees to replace those already lost. In china, for example, citizens must plant three trees per year. They added 5.9 million hectares of forest in 2009 alone. United States lost around a million hectares of primary forest between 2000 and 2005 but still managed a net gain in forest cover due to reforestation. Beginning in the 1960s, the South Korean government initiated a reforestation campaign to cover its largely deforested mountainsides. Today forests blanket 65 percent of the South Korea.