Brazil: Extreme corruption & lawlessness is the primary regulator of rainforest dectruction
“Fragile” land tenure systems and “a scarce presence” by the State
were identified as key factors in rising Amazon deforestation last
week The diagnosis was delivered to the 3rd International Congress on
Bioenergy last week by WWF-Brazil forest engineer Ana Euler, who said
there was a need to re-discuss the Brazilian development model. “In
many areas of the Amazon we come across a situation in which there are
various ‘landowners’ for the same piece of land and proof of land
ownership is extremely difficult,” Euler said.
“In such a scenario,
the populations that are more vulnerable end up being penalized.
Indigenous peoples, extractivists and small peasants generally lose
the dispute to agribusiness and other groups that deploy greater
political and economic strength.” The findings draw on studies of the
states of Para and Rondônia where a high incidence of land conflict
and associated violence were linked to forest degradation and
destruction. Using satellite images of the state of Rondônia – one of
the Amazon region’s most deforested states, Ana Euler showed that
protected areas are proving effective instruments for containing
deforestation and conflicts resulting from land use. “It can be noted
that indigenous lands, extractive reserves, national and state
forests, and other protected areas work as barriers against forest
degradation,” she said. Also raised by Euler was the great influence
of infrastructure projects, as hydroelectric power plants, highways,
pipelines and waterways in increasing conflicts over land use and
occupation in the Amazon region. “The speculation generated by the
announcement of great infrastructure construction work, as well as the
lack of transparence in the project-licensing processes, has serious
impacts to local biodiversity and to surrounding communities even
before construction is started,” she said.
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/latin_america_and_caribbean/country/ecuador/news/?139821
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