An environmental registry is protecting the Amazon rainforest (CAR) (2024)

Project description

Title: CAR – Land and Environmental Management
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Brazil
Lead executing agency: Serviço Florestal Brasileiro (SFB) – Ministério da Agricultura e do Abastecimento (MAPA),Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) in the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA)
Overall term: 2016to 2024

An environmental registry is protecting the Amazon rainforest (CAR) (1)

Context

The Brazilian Forest Code sets parameters for the maintenance and recovery of natural forests and makes the Environmental Rural Registry (CAR) mandatory for all rural properties in the country. All the areas where the native vegetation must be protected must also be recorded in CAR. This includes riverbanks, hillsides and mountaintops, as well as forest reserves to safeguard biodiversity.

By January 2020, 6.5 million properties equivalent to an area of 544 million hectares had already been registered according to the data collected by the SICAR online platform. In the Amazon rainforest, over one million properties covering 220 million hectares have been recorded – an area more than six times the size of Germany.

Although considerable progress has been made in the number of properties registered, effective environmental regularisation based on the Forest Code still faces major challenges, especially regarding the validation of registrations and the implementation of state Environmental Regularisation Programmes (PRA), which oblige landowners to restore illegally deforested areas.

Objective

The Forest Code and Environmental Rural Registry (CAR) have helped to protect and make sustainable use of the tropical forest and to restore forest cover. Sustainable agriculture practices in the Amazon and selected water catchment areas in the Cerrado biome are increasing as a result.

An environmental registry is protecting the Amazon rainforest (CAR) (2)

Approach

The project works with the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA), the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB), state environmental bodies and various NGOs and research institutions to implement environmental regularisation. Together they are further developing the innovative instruments under the Forest Code and disseminating them via training programmes in the states and for landowners.

The project pays special attention to the concerns of traditional population groups such as the quilombolas, runaway slave communities. They use CAR to improve land use planning in their territories and defend their customary rights against illegal land seizures.

Another priority area is the training of multipliers working in private and public advisory services. They use CAR to advise owners of small properties in particular on protecting and restoring native vegetation. Agricultural loans are adapted to address these challenges.

Since 2019, part of this project has been financed with funds from the World Bank’s Forest Investment Program (FIP). The cofinance amount of USD 21 million makes it possible to use the experiences gained in the Amazonas region in Brazil’s savannas (Cerrado) too, where the project supports arable and pastoral farming systems that protect the native vegetation, biodiversity and soils. The changes made by the individual farmers are part of sustainable land use planning in water catchment areas.

Other important partners are the National Rural Learning Service (SENAR), the Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and state environment bodies. The National Institute of Space Technologies (INPE) is also helping to monitor land use and forests.

Results

  • New digital systems have been introduced to improve the handling of CAR processes and databases.
  • The actors and authorities involved in the Forest Code have better technical and managerial competencies.
  • Nine policy programmes in the areas of agriculture, social development and the environment have integrated CAR.
  • A total of 663 landowners have initiated recovery measures.
  • Traditional population groups are benefiting from CAR thanks to adapted processes and increased participation.
An environmental registry is protecting the Amazon rainforest (CAR) (3)
An environmental registry is protecting the Amazon rainforest (CAR) (2024)

FAQs

How is the Amazon rainforest being protected? ›

Conservation concessions and conservation corridors are critical to protecting forest cover and biodiversity across the southwestern Amazon. It's a public/private partnership designed to promote conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

What is the environmental damage in the Amazon rainforest? ›

The Amazon Rainforest loses an average of 1.4 billion trees each year. When trees are cut down, they release carbon dioxide, a significant contributor to the climate crisis we're facing. That is why deforestation is responsible for roughly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions each year.

What do environmental groups want from the Amazon rainforest? ›

Each of these groups has its own ideas about the Amazon rainforest. The rubber tappers, farmers, cattle ranchers, and loggers want to use the rainforest to make a living. Indigenous peoples want to maintain their traditional way of life. Environmental groups want to preserve the rainforest in its natural state.

Which of these do environmental groups in the Amazon rainforest most want to protect? ›

Chapter 12 Amazon Rainforest
QuestionAnswer
Which of these do environmental groups in the Amazon rainforest most want to protect?Biodiversity.
What can settlers in the Amazon rainforest do to promote sustainable development of the rainforest?Plant crops that grow under the rainforest canopy.
21 more rows

How does Amazon protect the environment? ›

Amazon takes a broad, science-based approach to addressing the climate crisis. In addition to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, we are on a path to match all of our global electricity use with 100% renewable energy by 2025.

How can the rainforest be protected? ›

Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down. Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment. Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife. Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment.

What is the biggest problem in the Amazon rainforest? ›

This vast untamed wilderness is under increasing threat from huge-scale farming and ranching, infrastructure and urban development, unsustainable logging, mining and climate change.

What are 5 facts about the Amazon rainforest? ›

15 Amazing Amazon Rainforest Facts for Children
  • The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. ...
  • The rainforest spans over 9 different countries. ...
  • The Amazon has an incredibly rich ecosystem. ...
  • The Amazon River is the largest river in the world. ...
  • The Amazon Rainforest is considered the 'Lungs of the Earth'.
Mar 17, 2022

How bad is the Amazon rainforest being destroyed? ›

Almost 20 Percent of the Amazon Rainforest Has Been Destroyed Since the 1970s. In just 50 years, almost 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. Scientists warn that we're dangerously close to the forest's breaking point: 25 percent deforestation.

Is rainforest Trust legit? ›

This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.

Who is trying to save the Amazon rainforest? ›

WWF has been working in the Amazon since the 1970s and is at the forefront of efforts to protect the people, forests, and species that call it home.

How long will it take to replant the Amazon? ›

These so-called secondary forests can, under some circ*mstances, recover their full plant species diversity in 25 to 60 years, faster than previously known, though it may take a century or more to recover the full biomass of a mature forest.

Why do environmental groups want to protect the rainforest? ›

Trees also play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere—and increased speed and severity of global warming. 7. The biggest reason to save the rainforst is the effect deforestation has on local economies.

How do humans protect the Amazon rainforest? ›

Reduce your use of fossil fuels, and your impact on the planet. The less fossil fuels used, the less impact climate change will have on the Amazon and other important natural areas. Support and demand renewable energy be part of the grid in your area. Turn off electric appliances when you're not using them.

What is the main concern about the Amazon rainforest for environmental experts? ›

The forest's plants and animals sustain livelihoods and inform scientific research. But deforestation threatens this ecosystem. Researchers say continued destruction of the rain forest puts more than ten thousand species of Amazonian plants and animals at risk of extinction.

What is the government doing to protect the Amazon River? ›

To permanently protect 150 million acres of the Brazilian Amazon, Brazil established the Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) program in 2002. Created in partnership with WWF and others, the program is the world's largest initiative for the conservation of tropical forests.

How is the Amazon rainforest being cleared? ›

Deforestation is in fact considered the second major driver of climate change (more than the entire global transport sector), responsible for 18-25% of global annual carbon dioxide emissions. Direct human causes of deforestation include logging, agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, oil extraction and dam-building.

What is Brazil doing to protect the Amazon rainforest? ›

BELEM, Brazil, March 26 (Reuters) - Brazil and France on Tuesday launched an investment program to protect the Brazilian and Guyanese Amazon rainforest involving 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in private and public funds over the next four years.

How has the Amazon rainforest been managed? ›

Logging and replanting - selective logging of mature trees ensures that the rainforest canopy is preserved. This method allows the forest to recover because the younger trees gain more space and sunlight to grow. Planned and controlled logging ensures that for every tree logged another is planted.

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