STRENGTHENING BRAZIL’S FOREST PROTECTION IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

The document analyzes a shift in Amazon deforestation from large-scale to small-scale clearings between the mid-2000s and early 2010s. It finds that while conservation policies introduced in 2004 successfully reduced large-scale deforestation, they created a technical gap where clearings of 25 hectares or less go mostly undetected. Using data from Mato Grosso and Pará, the research shows that landholders have adapted their practices to elude monitoring, with smallholders in Pará emerging as primary agents of clearing. The brief recommends enhancing remote sensing technology and tailoring policies to local regional characteristics.

• Brazil's annual deforestation rates dropped from 27,000 km² in the mid-2000s to 4,500 km² by the early 2010s, largely due to conservation policies introduced in 2004. However, deforestation has shifted toward smaller tracts of land, with small-scale clearings growing from 25% to over 50% of overall annual clearings.
• The remote sensing-based monitoring and enforcement program used in Brazil has a technical limitation that prevents it from detecting deforestation on areas of 25 hectares or less, which is approximately the size of 30 soccer fields.
• In Mato Grosso, property holders shifted from medium- and large-scale clearings to smaller tracts to avoid detection by the monitoring system. In Pará, small-size property holders were the primary agents of forest clearing and were more likely to elude monitoring due to smaller average property sizes compared to Mato Grosso.

APA

Pessoa, P., & Rocha, R. (n.d.). STRENGTHENING BRAZIL’S FOREST PROTECTION IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CPI_Brief_Strengthening_Brazils_Forest_Protection.pdf

Chicago

Pessoa, Pedro, and Romero Rocha. STRENGTHENING BRAZIL’S FOREST PROTECTION IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE. Climate Policy Initiative, n.d. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CPI_Brief_Strengthening_Brazils_Forest_Protection.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pessoa |first1=Pedro |last2=Rocha |first2=Romero |title=STRENGTHENING BRAZIL’S FOREST PROTECTION IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CPI_Brief_Strengthening_Brazils_Forest_Protection.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pessoandstrengthening, author = {Pessoa, Pedro and Rocha, Romero}, title = {{STRENGTHENING BRAZIL’S FOREST PROTECTION IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CPI_Brief_Strengthening_Brazils_Forest_Protection.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }