The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest. In Brazil, the forest originally occupied over four million km2 – an area equivalent to almost half of continental Europe. Amazon deforestation rates escalated in the early 2000s, peaking at over 27,000 km2 in 2004, but fell sharply to about 5,000 km2 in 2011 (INPE [2012]).
A new study by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), DETERring Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, reveals that the implementation of a satellite-based system that enables frequent and quick identification of deforestation hot spots was the main driver of the 2000s deforestation slowdown.
CPI estimates that satellite-based environmental monitoring and law enforcement policies prevented the clearing of over 59,500 km2 of Amazon forest area (a land area comparable to the size of Latvia) from 2007 through 2011. Deforestation observed during this period totaled 41,500 km2 – 59% less than in the absence of the policy change. CPI also finds that the policy change had no impact on agricultural production.
This webinar focuses on high level findings from this analysis.
Clarissa Costalonga e Gandour, Senior Analyst, presents and responds to audience question.
