Report: Brazil Officials Ignore Deforestation
2022-07-24
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1A recent study says illegal loggers have destroyed about 18,500 square kilometers of public forests over the past six years in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
2But, the study says, the nation's Federal Police do not investigate the loss enough.
3The wood cutting took place in state and federal forests that are "unallocated."
4That means they are neither part of a national park nor are they considered native territories.
5Official data says the Brazilian Amazon has about 580,000 square kilometers of unallocated forest.
6That is an area almost the size of Ukraine.
7The public forests have become a target for criminals who illegally seize land.
8Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian policy research group, released the study.
9The group researched 369 environmental crime operations carried out by the Federal Police in the Amazon between 2016 and 2021.
10Only two percent targeted people illegally seizing unallocated public lands.
11It also found that the Federal Police created only seven operations to investigate this large loss.
12The Federal Police did not answer The Associated Press's request for comment about its work in the Amazon.
13The report said the lack of enforcement likely comes from the weak legal protection of these areas.
14Environmentalists have long pressed the federal government to turn unallocated public forests into protected areas.
15Brazil returned to democratic rule in 1985 after 20 years of military rule.
16Most of the democratic governments have expanded protected forests. Today about 47 percent of the Amazon is protected land, official data says.
17But President Jair Bolsonaro has said the country has too many protected areas and has slowed adding new protected land.
18In 2016, about 2,240 square kilometers of unallocated public land were illegally harvested for wood.
19Last year, that area reportedly almost doubled.
20Over six years, the total amount of land with illegal harvesting activity reached 18,500 square kilometers.
21That information comes from the Amazon Environmental Research Institute which is linked to the World Bank.
22Deforestation is increasingly taking place on unallocated lands.
23In 2016, unallocated land made up 31 percent of all illegally cut forest.
24Last year, the amount reached 36 percent.
25The Brazilian nonprofit group Climate Observatory said that almost half of Brazil's climate pollution comes from deforestation.
26The group said there is so much destruction that the eastern Amazon has, on average, stopped absorbing carbon gasses from the Earth's atmosphere.
27Instead, a study published in 2021 in the journal Nature suggests it is now turning into a source of carbon gasses.
28Carbon gasses are blamed for trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere.
29Igarapé divides environmental crime in the Amazon into four major illegal activities: stealing of public land; illegal logging; illegal mining; and deforestation connected to agriculture and cattle raising.
30The enforcement operations were spread over 846 places.
31Nearly half were in protected areas, like the Yanomami Indigenous Territory.
32The area has a heavier police presence but has still been invaded by thousands of illegal gold miners.
33The Igarapé study also pointed to a large "ecosystem of crime," as the police operations took place in 24 of Brazil's 27 states including eight cities in neighboring countries.
34"Environmental crime stems from illicit economies that access consumer markets and financing outside the Amazon," the report said.
35I'm Dan Novak.
1A recent study says illegal loggers have destroyed about 18,500 square kilometers of public forests over the past six years in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. But, the study says, the nation's Federal Police do not investigate the loss enough. 2The wood cutting took place in state and federal forests that are "unallocated." That means they are neither part of a national park nor are they considered native territories. Official data says the Brazilian Amazon has about 580,000 square kilometers of unallocated forest. That is an area almost the size of Ukraine. 3The public forests have become a target for criminals who illegally seize land. 4Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian policy research group, released the study. The group researched 369 environmental crime operations carried out by the Federal Police in the Amazon between 2016 and 2021. Only two percent targeted people illegally seizing unallocated public lands. It also found that the Federal Police created only seven operations to investigate this large loss. 5The Federal Police did not answer The Associated Press's request for comment about its work in the Amazon. 6The report said the lack of enforcement likely comes from the weak legal protection of these areas. Environmentalists have long pressed the federal government to turn unallocated public forests into protected areas. 7Brazil returned to democratic rule in 1985 after 20 years of military rule. Most of the democratic governments have expanded protected forests. Today about 47 percent of the Amazon is protected land, official data says. But President Jair Bolsonaro has said the country has too many protected areas and has slowed adding new protected land. 8In 2016, about 2,240 square kilometers of unallocated public land were illegally harvested for wood. Last year, that area reportedly almost doubled. Over six years, the total amount of land with illegal harvesting activity reached 18,500 square kilometers. That information comes from the Amazon Environmental Research Institute which is linked to the World Bank. 9Deforestation is increasingly taking place on unallocated lands. In 2016, unallocated land made up 31 percent of all illegally cut forest. Last year, the amount reached 36 percent. 10The Brazilian nonprofit group Climate Observatory said that almost half of Brazil's climate pollution comes from deforestation. The group said there is so much destruction that the eastern Amazon has, on average, stopped absorbing carbon gasses from the Earth's atmosphere. Instead, a study published in 2021 in the journal Nature suggests it is now turning into a source of carbon gasses. Carbon gasses are blamed for trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. 11Igarapé divides environmental crime in the Amazon into four major illegal activities: stealing of public land; illegal logging; illegal mining; and deforestation connected to agriculture and cattle raising. 12The enforcement operations were spread over 846 places. Nearly half were in protected areas, like the Yanomami Indigenous Territory. The area has a heavier police presence but has still been invaded by thousands of illegal gold miners. 13The Igarapé study also pointed to a large "ecosystem of crime," as the police operations took place in 24 of Brazil's 27 states including eight cities in neighboring countries. 14"Environmental crime stems from illicit economies that access consumer markets and financing outside the Amazon," the report said. 15I'm Dan Novak. 16Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters and The Associated Press. 17_______________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19logger -n. a person who cuts down trees for the wood industry 20absorb - v. to take something in (such as a liquid or gas) in a natural slow way 21cattle - n. (pl.) a large farm animal used for milk and meat 22ecosystem -n. everything that exists in an environment 23stem - v. to be caused by; to come from 24access -n. the ability to get or get into something 25_____________________________________________________________ 26We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 27Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.