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

The analysis identifies three priority strategies for the Brazilian government: federal prioritization of rural settlements, state-led implementation of the Forest Code on private lands, and joint efforts for 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 deforested areas, respectively. The study highlights a significant acceleration of deforestation in federal public areas and areas with no land tenure data between 2018 and 2021, increasing by 91% and 74% respectively. Geographically, the states of Pará, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, and Rondônia are the most affected, with five states together accounting for 95% of the deforested area in the biome. The report emphasizes that effective protection requires improving public data quality and coordinating federal support for state-level enforcement of the Forest Code.

• Between 2012 and 2021, federal public areas and private properties were the primary drivers of forest loss in the Amazon biome, representing 45% and 28% of the deforested area, respectively, totaling over 55,000 km².
• Deforestation accelerated sharply between 2018 and 2021 in federal public areas (91% increase) and areas with no land tenure data (74% increase), while private areas saw a 58% increase in the same period.
• Rural settlements were a major source of forest loss in federal public areas, accounting for 54% of deforestation between 2012 and 2021, with nearly 45% of that loss occurring in Par.
• Undesignated federal public forests are highly susceptible to illegal occupation; approximately 80% of the 101,700 km area is registered as private properties in the SICAR, and these occupied areas concentrate 91% of the category's deforestation 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.
• Five statesAcre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Par, and Rondaccounted for 95% of the deforested area within the Amazon biome between 2012 and 2021.
• The study argues for a coordinated governance approach: the federal government should focus on rural settlements and support states in implementing the Forest Code, while both must jointly address territorial zoning for unregistered and undesignated public lands.

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} }