Deforestation Causes in the Amazon

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Table of Contents

Brazilian Influence
Globalization
Poverty
Possible Solutions
Conclusion
References

The composition and appearance of the humid tropical forest of the Amazon amaze with the abundance of plant life forms, the exceptional richness of the species composition, and the density and complexity of the canopy. This richest plant mass on Earth possesses, especially in the west of the Amazon, innumerable resources of food, technical and medicinal raw materials, building, and ornamental materials. The Amazon basin plays an important role in global metabolism, accounting for about 10% of the primary biological production of the Earth. The species composition and appearance of forests vary depending on the situation concerning the rivers. Periodic spills of the Amazon and its tributaries greatly affect vegetation. The main causes of the deforestation process in Amazon forests are political discourse, poverty, and globalization.

Brazilian Influence

The states, within which Amazonia enters, primarily Brazil, began to develop forest areas. To this end, Trans-Amazonian highways and other roads were laid, including a railway through East Amazon, along which there is a clearing of forests for arable land and pastures, exploration and extraction of minerals, construction of settlements, and industrial enterprises (Schmidt & McDermott, 2015). A gradual settlement of vast areas of South American people began. Since the early 1960s, the population within the Brazilian Amazon increased by ten times, and by 2002 reached 20 million people (Barbanti, 2015). As a rule, the settlement is accompanied by uncontrolled deforestation, as well as the destruction of unique species of flora and fauna.

A sharp reduction in the forest area of the Amazon is also evidenced by observational data from space. Since 2000, a large-scale economic development plan has been implemented in Amazonia, called the “Advance Brazil,” which provides for the construction of new roads and railways, gas pipelines, power plants, power lines, and other infrastructure elements (Meijer, 2015). As a result of the implementation of this project according to the plan within the Brazilian Amazon, by the middle of the XXI century, up to 40% of forests can be destroyed (Meijer, 2015). Thus, Brazil plays a major role in both advancing and stopping the deforestation process.

Globalization

The problem of forest death, as well as environmental issues in general, is closely related to the global political issues of modern globalization. This relationship is two-way: along with the undoubted influence of the ecological situation on political decisions, in general, on politics, there is also the inverse effect of the political situation in the world on the environment in certain regions of the world. As for the forests of the planet, in most cases, they will not be eliminated on a whim, but to survive, not to die of hunger. The world is divided into developed countries of the West, where less than 1 billion people or the golden billion and all the rest, the developing countries of the third world, the refuge of the rest, more than 5 billion people live in conditions of economic prosperity (Coe et al., 2017). Approximately 1.3 billion people in these countries live in poverty, and 840 million people, including 240 million children, are starving or suffering from malnutrition (Boucher & Chi, 2018). Composing approximately 20% of the world’s population, the golden billion controls about 85% of the resources (Barbanti, 2015). Therefore, the growing demand for the globalized world forces Amazon deforestation.

Poverty

Both categories of countries contribute to the destruction of the bios, although for various reasons. However, specifically, the elimination of forests is directly carried out on the territory of the Third World countries. The rich countries of the West, which had previously destroyed most of their forests, are now engaged in their restoration, and carefully protect the remnants of virgin forests and newly created stands from pollution. However, a resident of developing countries is not up to environmental considerations, because due to their tremendous population growth, these people must provide themselves with food through archaic means.

It is critical to note that this method is unproductive in the rain forests of the tropics because the layer of nutrient humus in their soils is very thin. The main reason is that after 2-3 crops the soil is depleted and it is necessary to destroy a new section of the forest (Schmidt & McDermott, 2015). The uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, including forests, is facilitated by the significant financial indebtedness of the Third World countries about creditors from the golden billion countries so that the Golden Billion is indirectly responsible for the fate of the Third World forests, from which depends on its survival (Monteiro & Rajão, 2017). Measures were proposed to remove or postpone part of the debt from developing countries, subject to their mandatory compliance with forest protection standards and the general bio-environment.

Possible Solutions

In general, since 1982, the total forest area on Earth has grown by 7%, and space without trees has become smaller. It was Brazil that lost most of the forests, about 385 thousand square kilometers of the jungle (Coe et al., 2017). According to forecasts in the next decade, the rate of destruction of forests in the Amazon will decrease by 40% (Schmidt & McDermott, 2015). Large amounts are allocated by international funds to support forest conservation projects. For example, the Norwegian government donated a billion dollars to Amazon. The plans of Brazil until 2030 to restore 270 thousand square kilometers of forest (Boucher & Chi, 2018). All this allows experts to consider the problem of destruction of the Amazonian forests as being in the stage of an active solution and an optimistic forecast in the coming years.

Therefore, that deforestation does not become a disaster for the world, it is necessary to create a whole range of measures aimed at restoring the ecological balance and reviving the extinct species of plants and animals. They relate to the field of legislative, executive, and judicial power. The most promising is the increase in productivity and the rational use of existing pastures and arable land to get rid of the need for deforestation (Monteiro & Rajão, 2017). It is also important to restore the sites where the forest was still partially preserved to its original state and to increase the territories in the Amazon basin that are under state protection. It requires control by government agencies on the work being done in the forest, as well as on the trade turnover of some types of trees and the creation of a system of control on the roads, to timely detect illegal logging.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world needs to realize that the death of the Amazon is a deterioration in the environment. It is a greater threat to the future of people than military aggression, which over the next few decades, humanity will be able to eliminate poverty and hunger, get rid of social vices, revive the culture and restore architectural monuments if only there is money, but it is impossible to revive the destroyed nature with money. It will take centuries to halt its further destruction and push the approaching environmental disaster in the world.

References

Barbanti, O. (2015). Economic cycles, deforestation and social impacts in the Brazilian Amazon. Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, 4(2), 169-196.

Boucher, D., & Chi, D. (2018). Amazon deforestation in Brazil: What has not happened and how the global media covered It. Tropical Conservation Science, 1(1), 2-5.

Coe, M. T., Brando, P. M., Deegan, L. A., Macedo, M. N., Neill, C., & Silvério, D. V. (2017). The forests of the Amazon and Cerrado moderate regional climate and are the key to the future. Tropical Conservation Science, 1(1), 2-6.

Meijer, K. S. (2015). A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of four supply chain initiatives to reduce deforestation. Tropical Conservation Science, 1(1), 583–597.

Monteiro, M., & Rajão, R. (2017). Scientists as citizens and knowers in the detection of deforestation in the Amazon. Social Studies of Science, 47(4), 466-484.

Schmidt, C. A., & McDermott, C. L. (2015). Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Local explanations for forestry law compliance. Social & Legal Studies, 24(1), 3-24.

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