L’AMAZONIL “GREEN LUNG” OF THE EARTH IN SOUTH AMERICA IS THREATENED BY A LETHAL COMBINATION OF DROUGHT, HEAT AND FIRES. ALL EXACERATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEFORESTATION. SCIENTISTS ISSUE AN UNPRECEDENTED ALARM, WARNING THAT 10% TO 47% OF CURRENT RAINFOREST COVER WILL NEED TO FACE THESE COMBINED RISK FACTORS BY 2050 UNLESS URGENT MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO REVERSE THE TREND
The Amazon at risk
The rain forest dell’Amazon, source of life for millions of plant and animal species, finds itself at the crossroads of an unprecedented crisis. According to a recent study published in Natureil global warming and tree loss caused by deforestation they are pushing her to the breaking point.
What are the causes of this impending crisis? The climate change plays a key role.
The rise in temperatures and the decrease in precipitation which in fact lead to Drought increasingly frequent and prolonged. This, combined with deforestation accelerated by human activity and fire (almost always malicious), creates a cocktail letale which threatens to wipe out the world’s largest rainforest.
But the future of the Amazon is not just an environmental question, it is also a question of survival for the entire planet.
The trees of the Amazon play a fundamental role in the water cycle global, transporting it from the ground into the atmosphere. This water then condenses as rain and nourishes the forest again.
In addition, the forest plays an active role in carbon sequestration. In fact, it contributes to stabilizing the climate and providing vital habitats for an extraordinary diversity of species.
The rainforest is becoming a savannah
«The region is increasingly exposed to unprecedented stress. This is due to warming temperatures, extreme drought, deforestation and fires, including in central and remote parts of the system.”
This is what the researchers comment.
«Once this critical point is passed, perhaps we will no longer be able to do anything.”said the ecologist Bernardo Flores dell’University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, lead author of the report.
«The forest will die on its own. It’s time – added Flores – to declare a “red alert” for the Amazon, the largest tropical rainforest in the world.”.
Carlos Nobre, climatologist from the Brazilian University of Sao Paulo, not involved in the study, states that «New research shows how close the Amazon rainforest is to a tipping point».
According to Nobre, we have now destroyed around 18% of the Amazon forest and, if this figure were to reach 20-25%, the entire forest could turn into savannah.
This metamorphosis is not just a physical transformation of the landscape, but a human and natural drama of colossal proportions. Fires, fueled by human activity, also contribute to destroying thegreen lung”.
A race against time to save the Amazon
But there is still hope. Scientists are trying to decipher the secrets of this dramatic transformation.
Through complex and meticulous analyses, they are trying to understand the mechanisms that drive this unprecedented metamorphosis. By studying forested areas, examining climatic and human trends, they are now looking for a solution to save what can be saved.
However, there is a need for urgent and coordinated action, globally and locally.
This may be the only way to stop deforestation, protect remaining forests and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
«Our intention was to put all the pieces of the puzzle on the table and try to understand the importance of each of them for the overall picture”.
This is Flores’ explanation.
«The paths are different, but they are all connected to the loss of biodiversity», points out Marina Hirota, co-author of the study, from the Brazilian University of Santa Catarina.
“For indigenous communities and other people who depend on the forest for their resources, these changes would represent an imminent catastrophe.”
The appeal of the Brazilian Minister of the Environment
Last year Marina Silva launched a heartfelt appeal. According to the Brazilian Minister of the Environment, saving the Amazon requires a global effort on a scale equal to that of Piano Marshall.
For those who don’t know, let’s talk about one of the US political-economic plans for the reconstruction of Europe after the Second World War.
Regarding the wide range of results expected from the new research, the ecologist Nicola Clerici from the University of Rosario in Bogota underlined the importance of further studies to increase the level of scientific certainty.
Bolsonaro’s politics: Amazon in free fall
Since 2019, that is, since when Jair Bolsonaro took office as president of Brazil, the Amazon forest suffered the worst blows. According to an international study conducted byNational Institute for Space Research in Brazil (INPE) and published in Nature on January 20, 2023, carbon emissions from the Amazon forest approximately doubled in 2019 and 2020 compared to the average of the previous period, which runs from 2010 to 2018.
This increase in emissions was mainly attributed to deliberate deforestation and you have fires caused to make room forcattle breeding e all’agricultureactions that characterized the first two years of Bolsonaro’s mandate.
Due to his wicked policies, deforestation in the Amazon increased by 34% compared to 2018, reaching the figure of 10,129 km² of forest destroyed.
Contrary to weather cycles that naturally influence variations in the Amazon’s carbon emissions, the increase observed under Bolsonaro has been mainly attributed to the systematic downgrading of environmental law enforcement in Brazil. During his presidency, fines for illegal logging dropped significantly, while fires and deforestation increased. But let’s get to the data.
Greenpeace data
As reported by Greenpeace, the annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon in 2019 was 7,536 km². In the period between August 2020 and July 2021, 13,235 km² of Amazon forest were destroyed: an increase in the deforestation rate of more than 75% compared to 2018.
Bolsonaro eats “The Brazilian Child”
The scientists’ analysis highlights that Bolsonaro acted as a “The Brazilian Child“, accentuating the environmental crisis. Despite the opportunity to protect the world’s forests through declining deforestation rates in some countries, as highlighted by the current Brazilian president, Luiz Inàcio Lula da Silvathe Pan-Amazon summit has yet to reach a regional agreement to stop deforestation, due to disagreements over issues such as oil and gas exploration.
Is it always a question of economic interests?
Apparently yes!