In between my two project visits, I spend a few days in Manaus interviewing a range of actors working to preserve the Amazon rainforest and render development more sustainable. Even though many people are on holidays, I´m able to meet up with representatives of the State of Amazonas, the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), the opposition and NGOs.
While views on the effectiveness and coherence of the actions taken so far by the federal government and the state governments differ, all actors share the hope for some kind of international financing mechanism to be established soon to channel more funds to the Amazon. One government official quotes the powerful Governor of the State of Amazonas, Eduardo Braga, with a message so outspoken, that it´s not used officially anymore, but still represents the views of many Brazilian officials and politicians: “We are providing all those environmental services for free to the world, now give us the money for it.”
Government officials and NGOs equally voice concerns that a future REDD mechanism must be constructed in a way that the money reaches the forest people and not be “eaten up” under way by expansive carbon consultants, institutions and other intermediaries. Another concern is that the REDD mechanism must carefully balance rewarding reducing emissions and preservation, so as not to create deforestation incentives and pressure on areas which are up to now not directly endangered.
It becomes clear that Brazil is faced with a dilemma: as a developing country, it tries to follow the model of industrialized countries and other developing countries to draw heavily on its natural resources, especially the rainforests, in the hope of advancing economically. In addition, many politicians and state officials of all ranks have stakes in the destructive economic activities in the Amazonas. A recent Greenpeace report reveals that cattle ranching is with 80% the most important source of deforestation in the Amazonas. A big share of the meat and leather produced is exported all around the world, including Europe. The Brazilian government plans to double the share of Brazil in the world meat trade even though the country is already the leading exporter. The Federal government holds shares and finances the expansion of the major slaughterhouses in the Amazon. The Federal as well as the States` governments further infrastructure projects in the rainforest which threaten the precious natural heritage.
It becomes clear that Brazil is faced with a dilemma: as a developing country, it tries to follow the model of industrialized countries and other developing countries to draw heavily on its natural resources, especially the rainforests, in the hope of advancing economically. In addition, many politicians and state officials of all ranks have stakes in the destructive economic activities in the Amazonas. A recent Greenpeace report reveals that cattle ranching is with 80% the most important source of deforestation in the Amazonas. A big share of the meat and leather produced is exported all around the world, including Europe. The Brazilian government plans to double the share of Brazil in the world meat trade even though the country is already the leading exporter. The Federal government holds shares and finances the expansion of the major slaughterhouses in the Amazon. The Federal as well as the States` governments further infrastructure projects in the rainforest which threaten the precious natural heritage.
At the time I visit the Amazonas Parliament, the green deputy is accusing the State´s government of being involved in a major corruption scandal, where 300 Million Reais were paid to ghost companies in order to build a hydrological plant, but the companies disappeared without accomplishing their task as soon as they had touched the money.
On the other hand, both State and Federal governments publish ambitious plans for saving the Amazon rainforest. State Programmes like the Bolsa Floresta and the Juma Reserve REDD project represent innovative approaches to support forest people in the preservation of ecological services, self-organisation and the development of economic alternatives. The amounts available are however way to low to achieve the objectives, as all interlocutors agree. Sufficient means to control and enforce forest laws are also desperately lacking in the vast and remote lands and waters of the Amazon. It becomes evident that the Amazon can only be saved in a concerted state, national and international effort, spelling out clearly the responsibilities of each level and actor including the control and sanctioning mechanisms. Part of such an agreement must also be the improvement of policy coherence, so that development and economic activities do not undermine the conservation objectives, but rather contribute to them.
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