根據巴西太空署（INPE）於11月28日公佈的最新年度統計，亞馬遜森林原本趨緩的伐林速度再次惡化，巴西環境部長明克（Carlos Minc）對此現象發表評論，強調政府會在12月1日公佈森林相關碳排放減量目標，將防止伐林與全國對抗氣候變化的工作互相結合。
2007年8月至2008年7月間，巴西西北部的亞馬遜行政區（Legal Amazon）共有11,968平方公里的森林被砍伐，較1年前增加3.8%。與之前砍伐速度減少18%的趨勢相對照，目前的惡化狀況令人訝異並擔憂。
根據太空署的統計，03-04年的伐林面積是每年27,423平方公里，到06-07年下降為11,532平方公里。2008年年中因為發現砍伐速度劇增，臨時推出新的因應措施，否則惡化狀況可能更加嚴重。
政府以管制信貸的方式要求地主遵守環境相關規定，包括伐林證照、管制區與永久保留區的規範、加強巡邏、參與州或市政府的防止伐林行動等。
世界自然基金會WWF的巴西分會對這項措施特別提出讚揚，執行總裁哈慕（ Denise Hamú）表示，「非法土地侵佔與濫用是亞馬遜地區伐林最主要，也最特殊的原因，管制信貸剛好可以切中問題核心。」
為了展開具體行動並敦促政府與社會盡力防止伐林，數個非政府組織共同提出了「亞馬遜森林價值認定暨減緩伐林方案」（Amazon Pact for Forest Value Acknowledgement and Deforestation Decrease），希望在7年內讓伐林速度歸零。這項亞馬遜森林方案預估每年需要4億美元，但是與伐林帶來的乾旱、洪災與人命經濟損失相比，這樣的支出其實非常低廉。
對於政府即將提出的碳排放減量目標，WWF巴西分會也樂見其成，並指出巴西的溫室氣體排放有3/4來自伐林與森林火災。哈慕說，「對森林的漠視，讓巴西成為全球暖化的主要貢獻者，排名世界4大。」
過去2年亞馬遜伐林速度趨緩，顯示在巴西推動減排目標是可行的。在近日舉辦的波蘭氣候協商會議中，巴西可以透過減少伐林以降低排放的措施，占取主導地位。
WWF巴西分會的保育主任斯卡拉姆滋（Carlos Alberto de Mattos Scaramuzz）指出，對抗伐林的行動必須「四」管齊下。首先必須規劃並落實保育區，以有效保護森林。其次，要在亞馬遜地區建構森林管理能力，提倡自然資源永續利用。
第3項行動是加強巡邏監控，解決農業公司與大型開發工程非法侵佔土地帶來的威脅。最後，對於保護森林的人，必須透過財政措施給予獎勵。
巴西政府在2008年8月推出「亞馬遜基金」（The Amazon Fund），就是以經濟方式獎勵森林保育的重要政策，但WWF巴西分會做出提醒，基金應該做為所有行動的最後一步。
斯卡拉姆滋說，「我們希望亞馬遜基金設立之後能鼓勵創新、創意、實驗精神與公民社群參與，而不是用來填補政府施政上的缺失遺漏。」
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon forests has flipped from a decreasing to an increasing trend, according to new annual figures released yesterday by the country's space agency INPE.
Commenting on the figures, Brazilian environment minister Carlos Minc confirmed that the government will on Monday announce forest related carbon emission reduction targets, which will link halting deforestation to the national climate change campaign.
From August 2007 to July 2008, Brazil deforested 11,968 square kilometers of forests in the area designated as the Legal Amazon, a 3.8 per cent increase over the previous year and an unwelcome surprise following declines of 18 per cent over the previous period.
From 2003-2004 to 2006-2007, annual deforestation totals from the agency fell from 27,423 km2 to 11,532 km2. There were fears that the current trend could have been worse but for new measures introduced part way through the year when it became apparent that annual deforestation was accelerating towards a possible 15,000 hectare level.
WWF-Brazil has praised in particular restraints on credit for properties not complying with environmental rules on deforestation licenses, legal reserve and permanent preservation areas, strengthened land ownership rules, increased patrolling activity and a sharing of responsibility for halting deforestation with states and municipalities.
“Credit restrain prevents effects linked to illegal land occupation and exploitation (“grilagem”), which is the main direct and specific cause for deforestation in the Amazon”, says WWF-Brazil’s CEO, Denise Hamú.
“WWF-Brazil favors that which was established in the Amazon Pact for Forest Value Acknowledgement and Deforestation Decrease, which proposes concrete actions and urges the government and society to endeavor all efforts to curb deforestation to zero level in seven years”.
The Pact was an initiative by a group of NGOs and the proposed actions have an estimate cost of R$ 1 billion per year, which is relatively cheap as compared to the social costs (droughts, floods, deaths, economic difficulties and so forth) inflicted on everyone by deforestation.
WWF Brazil welcomed the forthcoming carbon emission reduction targets, noting that deforestation and forest fires together are responsible for 75% of Brazilian green house gas emissions. “Negligence towards our forests causes Brazil to rank fourth among the larger contributors to the planet warming,” Hamú said.
The decrease in the Amazon deforestation rate achieved in the last two years shows that it is viable for Brazil to adopt emission curb targets. The adoption of targets to decrease emissions from deforestation could place Brazil in a forefront position for the international climate negotiations due to start in a few days, in Poznan, Poland.
WWF-Brazil’s Conservation Director, Carlos Alberto de Mattos Scaramuzza, explains that actions to fight deforestation must run on four tracks. The first one is the effective protection of forests through creation and implementation of protected areas. Secondly, there is the promotion of sustainable use of natural resources, through forest management capacity building in the Amazon states.
Then there are patrolling actions to tackle illegal activity threats which are linked to land property and occupation (“grilagem”), to agribusiness and to large infrastructure works. Finally, we must have financial offset actions to reward those who protect the forest
The Amazon Fund, created by the government in August 2008, is also an important policy to make financial offset viable for those who protect the forest. Nevertheless, WWF-Brazil claims that funds should be applied in the end of the chain.
“We hope that the Amazon Fund implementation will encourage innovation, creativity, experimentation and the involvement of civil society, instead of being used to fulfill the blanks and gaps in governmental programs”.
