Indigenous peoples, civil society and businesses are calling on the United States to recognize the Forest Conservation Fund

The letter was sent to US President Joe Biden and Parliament Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday (10).

• Deforestation warnings on the Amazon are over 1,000km in April

In November of last year, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, President Biden announced his intention to create a fund to fund the protection of the planet’s tropical forests. This week, The US Congress will discuss proposals to establish long-term agreements to combat deforestation in developing countries.

It’s a model similar to the Amazon Fund, which was created with the resources of Norway and Germany to fund security operations in Brazil. But due to the current environmental policy, both countries stopped relocating in 2019, the first year of the Bolsanaro government. Today, the fund has more than R $ 3.5 billion in cash, which has been blocked.

In the letter, representatives of more than 300 Brazilian civil society organizations and organizations are seeking the approval of US $ 9 billion in US funds.

The group recalls that two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest tropical forest, is concentrated in Brazil and is being lost to deforestation. Last year alone, Brazil accounted for 40% of all tropical forest losses on the planet. Between August 2020 and July last year, Amazon lost more than 13,000 square kilometers, the highest rate recorded since 2006.

“This loss could compromise the role of biology in regulating global water cycles and climate change, and accelerate its afforestation process. Therefore, the goal of international resources is necessary to prevent the decline of our forest ecosystems.”

Funding has not yet been decided by the US Congress. The panel recommends that projects from all spheres of public power should be integrated and have the participation of civil society, but prioritize forestry, and money transfer is done based on results. The key is to maintain the forest.

“Forests are generally an important asset to mankind to ensure the planet’s climate. Maintaining is a fundamental factor, “said Andre Guimaraes, of the Brazilian Climate, Forest and Agrarian Alliance.