Continued deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon will have catastrophic climatic and economic consequences for the region and the globe. The science is clear, and effective solutions to these problems are still within our reach, but in many respects, we are moving in the wrong direction.
Woodwell Climate Research Center (formerly known as Woods Hole Research Center), in partnership with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), has developed a comprehensive forest protection program in Brazil that integrates science, public communication, and direct policy engagement. This plan targets four stakeholder groups vital to ending tropical deforestation: indigenous peoples, small family farms, large agribusiness farms and undesignated lands. By working with these four groups, we will (1) quantify and effectively communicate the environmental, climatic, and economic risks of deforestation and climate change, and (2) reduce these risks by implementing innovative economic and policy incentives to conserve forests on public and private lands.
This session will engage both experts and non-experts who are interested in understanding the science and policy issues at the heart of preserving the Brazilian Amazon.