Norway will shortly release around 487 million euros that were blocked during the tenure of now-ex-President Bolsonaro. Along with Germany, the Scandinavian country is a major donor of Amazon rainforest conservation.
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| [A mountain fountain in Amazon Rainforest] |
This is the first tangible and good result of Lula's return to the presidency of Brazil. During a phone interview with AFP, Norwegian Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide said that his country will reactivate its financial assistance for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest, dubbed "the planet's green lung" and home to roughly 70% of the world's biodiversity.
According to the Norwegian minister, the Fund for the Preservation of the Amazon Rainforest has 5 billion Norwegian crowns (487 million euros) sitting idle today. The Scandinavian monarchy, together with Germany, is the primary financier for Amazon rainforest conservation.
When Jair Bolsonaro takes over the presidency of Brazil in 2019, the Scandinavian country suspended this help against deforestation. "We engaged in a direct conflict with him; he had a totally opposing approach to deforestation," the Norwegian minister said. According to analysts, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has increased by 70% during his reign. The minister called the statistic "scandalous."
"We observe that Lula highlighted the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and the protection of Amazonian indigenous communities throughout his campaign," says the top Scandinavian official. "That's why we're eager to get in touch with his staff as soon as possible to plan for the restart of the traditionally strong relationship between Brazil and Norway," he continued.
Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2011, declared after his victory yesterday that Brazil was "ready to take the lead again in the battle against climate change." "Both Brazil and the world require a vibrant Amazon," he insisted.
According to a report by representatives of the Amazon's indigenous peoples, 26% of the world's greatest tropical forest has been irreparably destroyed. A problem that has been further exacerbated by President Bolsonaro's presidency. This has mostly favored the exploitation of the Amazon's natural resources for the advantage of the Brazilian industrial wood and agro-trade industries.
According to the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, over 33,000 fires occurred in the Amazon in August, setting a new record since 2010. The majority of these fires would be caused by breeders associated with the agricultural business. cattle sector to settle their massive herds, or by soybean growers for export.
According to the scientific journal "Nature," the fast reduction in trees caused the forest to exhale carbon for the first time last year. Deforestation in the Amazon is one of the "tipping points" recognized by experts as essential aspects in the change of the climate system, alongside melting ice caps, thawing permafrost, and the extinction of coral reefs.