Fighting Deforestation in the Amazon: Strategic Coordination and Priorities for Federal and State Governments

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation and land tenure in the Amazon biome from 2012 to 2021. It identifies critical areas for public intervention and proposes a coordinated strategy between the Brazilian federal and state governments, focusing on rural settlements, the implementation of the Forest Code on private lands, and the territorial zoning of undesignated public areas.

• Between 2012 and 2021, federal public areas and private properties were the primary sites of forest loss, accounting for 45% and 28% of the deforested area, respectively, totaling over 55,000 km².
• Deforestation rates accelerated significantly between 2018 and 2021, particularly in federal public areas (increasing by 91%) and areas with no land tenure data (increasing by 74%), compared to a 58% increase in private areas.
• Rural settlements are a major driver of deforestation within federal public lands, representing 54% of the loss between 2012 and 2021, with nearly 45% of that loss occurring in Pará.
• Undesignated federal public forests show high levels of illegal occupation and deforestation; approximately 80% of the 101,700 km² area is registered as private property in the SICAR, and these occupied areas account for 91% of the deforestation in this category from 2012 to 2021.
• Deforestation in private areas is severe across different property sizes, with 67% of small properties, 45% of medium properties, and 33% of large properties already deforested by 2021.
• The study identifies five states—Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia—that together accounted for 95% of the deforested area within the Amazon biome between 2012 and 2021.
• Effective forest protection requires a coordinated governance approach: the federal government should focus on rural settlements and supporting states, while state governments should prioritize the implementation of the Forest Code on private lands.
• Territorial ordering is critical for areas with no land tenure data, which accounted for 21% of forest loss between 2012 and 2021, as the lack of registries makes it impossible to establish specific responsibility.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2023). Fighting Deforestation in the Amazon: Strategic Coordination and Priorities for Federal and State Governments. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/fighting-deforestation-in-the-amazon-strategic-coordination-and-priorities-for-federal-and-state-governments/

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. Fighting Deforestation in the Amazon: Strategic Coordination and Priorities for Federal and State Governments. 2023. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/fighting-deforestation-in-the-amazon-strategic-coordination-and-priorities-for-federal-and-state-governments/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=Fighting Deforestation in the Amazon: Strategic Coordination and Priorities for Federal and State Governments |date=5 May 2023 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/fighting-deforestation-in-the-amazon-strategic-coordination-and-priorities-for-federal-and-state-governments/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2023fighting, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{Fighting Deforestation in the Amazon: Strategic Coordination and Priorities for Federal and State Governments}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/fighting-deforestation-in-the-amazon-strategic-coordination-and-priorities-for-federal-and-state-governments/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }