On the sidelines of the 16th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP-16) in Cancun, the German Development Bank (KFW) signed a contract with the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) today to donate ¬ 18 million (US$ 30.6 million) to the Amazon Fund.
Germany is the second country to contribute to the Amazon Fund; following Norway, which signed a commitment in 2009 to donate up to US$ 1 billion through 2015.
Considered one of the most successful REDD (Emission Reduction by Deforestation and Degradation) initiatives in the world to date, the Amazon Fund has already approved 13 projects totaling R$ 189 million (US$ 109.5 million) to curb deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
Amazon Fund projects are currently being conducted in seven states, covering a landmass that is larger than that of Germany and the UK combined. Target areas include the so-called "Deforestation Belt", where the largest degraded area of the region is concentrated, as well as regions with heavy forest cover where protection and recovery initiatives are most needed. In addition to protecting the natural forests, the initiatives aim to support indigenous populations unique to the Amazon region, including the Riparian people and the Maroon Quilombolas, who inhabit the forest and depend on it for their livelihoods.
"BNDES' mission is to formulate feasible alternatives to forest degradation and the improper use of soil in regions with high population density. We are talking about approximately 25 million people who live in the Amazon", said Sergio Weguelin, Deputy Managing Director of the Environmental Division of the BNDES.
Amazon Fund projects use various approaches to reduce CO2 emissions resulting from Amazon degradation and deforestation, including land-title regularization and environmental diagnosis, the recovery of deforested areas, promotion of the environmental forestry sectors, technical incentives and payment for environmental services, always in keeping with national policies for environmental management.
The programs also aim to revitalize family farming, strengthen the monitoring of deforestation through satellite images, and provide incentives for sustainable economic efforts.
For more information: www.fundoamazonia.gov.br
Source: BNDES / Portal Brazil
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