Preservando a Amazônia

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation within rural settlements in the Amazon biome between 2012 and 2022. It highlights that a small number of settlements are responsible for a disproportionate amount of forest loss and argues for targeted government interventions, combining environmental monitoring and enforcement with sustainable economic incentives like payments for environmental services.

• Rural settlements in the Amazon biome are a significant source of deforestation; despite occupying only 8% of the territory, they accounted for 28% of the biome's deforestation between 2012 and 2022.
• Deforestation in Amazonian settlements is highly concentrated. In 2022, 75% of forest loss in settled areas occurred in just 5% of the 2,312 settlements in the biome. Furthermore, 17% of the total biome deforestation between 2012 and 2022 took place in 5% of settlements (116 projects).
• There is a persistent pattern of deforestation among specific settlements. Many of the settlements with the highest deforestation rates in 2022 were also among the primary contributors in previous years, and these areas are often concentrated near federal highways.
• The scale of deforestation differs between high-impact and low-impact settlements. In 2022, 36% of deforestation episodes in the top 5% of settlements destroyed areas of 100 hectares or more, compared to only 4% in other settlements, suggesting a link to large-scale agribusiness.
• Environmental enforcement has declined while deforestation has risen. Between 2016 and 2022, there was a 56% decrease in fines for flora infractions and deforestation in settlements, while the deforested area increased by 48%.
• Sustainable alternatives and financial incentives show promise. The 'Projeto Assentamentos Sustentáveis' in Pará (2012-2017) provided technical assistance and payments for environmental services (PSA) to 350 families, resulting in increased production and reduced deforestation.
• The Amazon region shows significant potential for forest regeneration. By 2019, approximately 2.1 million hectares of secondary vegetation had naturally regenerated in settlements, representing nearly 25% of the total deforested area in these settlements.

APA

Mourão, J., Sessim, M., & Souza, P. (2023). Preservando a Amazônia. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Preservando-a-Amazonia.pdf

Chicago

Mourão, João, Marcelo Sessim, and Priscila Souza. Preservando a Amazônia. Climate Policy Initiative, 2023. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Preservando-a-Amazonia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mourão |first1=João |last2=Sessim |first2=Marcelo |last3=Souza |first3=Priscila |title=Preservando a Amazônia |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=September 2023 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Preservando-a-Amazonia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mouro2023preservando, author = {Mourão, João and Sessim, Marcelo and Souza, Priscila}, title = {{Preservando a Amazônia}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Preservando-a-Amazonia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }