A two-day summit to save the Amazon
Representatives of eight countries met for a two-day from August 8- 9, 2023, to save the Amazon Forest, the lung of the world.
The summit began in Belem, Brazil, and the eight Amazon Basin partner countries participating in the summit are Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. This is the first such summit in the last 14 years.
A joint statement called ‘Belem Declaration’ was issued at the conclusion ceremony of the summit. The declaration called for a coalition to fight against Amazon deforestation.
Reuters reports that countries participating in the summit have agreed on a list of unified environmental policies. They also agreed to take steps to strengthen regional cooperation in this regard. However, they disagreed on a common goal to stop deforestation.
Conservation of the Amazon Forest is central to efforts to combat climate change. Ahead of the summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for a common goal to end deforestation by 2030. His government has already adopted the policy.
At the summit’s opening, Lula mentioned the serious deterioration of the climate crisis. He emphasized working in unity. “Saving the Amazon is now more important than ever,” he said.
About 60 percent of the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, is in Brazil. After Lula was elected president of Brazil, deforestation in his country decreased dramatically. But under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, the Amazon was being decimated.
