Why are governments rallying to protect the Amazon?

Summary:

• South American presidents and ministers are meeting in Belen to address critical issues in the Amazon Rainforest.
• Historically, the Amazon has been exploited with little consideration for sustainability or indigenous rights.
• Deforestation, driven by agriculture, poses a significant threat to the Amazon, along with other issues like dams and mining.
• The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization is being discussed as a means to tackle these challenges collectively.
• The summit aims to build stronger collaboration among Amazon nations and create a unified stance for upcoming climate conferences.

With critical problems plaguing the Amazon Rainforest, South American presidents and ministers are converging on the city of Belen near the mouth of the Amazon River to discuss how to address them and how to chart a common course forward.

Amazon's Ecological Significance and Historical Context

The Amazon Rainforest is twice the size of India. It spans eight nations in one territory, houses remarkable biodiversity and freshwater reserves, and is a vital carbon sink. It's also home to tens of millions of people. Governments have historically viewed the Amazon as an area to be colonized and exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its indigenous people. Cross-border cooperation in the Amazon has also been scant, undermined by low trust, ideological differences, and the lack of state presence. But there has been growing recognition of the Amazon's importance in arresting climate change and the fact that rampant resource extraction, human rights abuses, and environmental crimes must be addressed collaboratively.

Deforestation and Environmental Threats

The Amazon's primary threat is deforestation, driven by cattle ranching and soybean plantations. Brazil, home to two-thirds of the rainforest, is a major contributor. Deforestation has led to carbon emissions, reduced rainfall, and altered temperatures. One looming question is whether deforestation could trigger a so-called tipping point, transforming the Amazon into a savanna. Other environmental threats include large hydroelectric dams, mining, and oil drilling. The destruction is being exacerbated by road paving that facilitated access, as well as organized crime, which has increasingly taken root in the area with corruption and lax law enforcement. The Amazon summit in Belém seeks to address these challenges.

The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and Future Action

This landmark gathering unites the nations of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, a toothless 45-year-old alliance that has met only three times before. But there is a commitment to coordinate future action through the group, and presidents in Belém aim to decide how to build the organization out, with either expanded national contributions or financing. Brazil's President Lula has also said that he hopes a joint Belém declaration will become the common call to arms of these countries as they move toward the COP28 climate conference in November.

The Amazon summit in Belém marks a crucial step toward addressing the ecological and environmental challenges facing the rainforest and its surrounding nations. As world leaders gather to discuss cross-border cooperation, sustainable practices, and climate change mitigation, the outcomes of this summit could have far-reaching implications for the future of the Amazon and the global fight against climate change.