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A Rain Forest Strategy

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 3, 2008

For decades, Brazil has jealously safeguarded the right to decide the future of its national patrimony, the Amazon rain forest. It has responded to the plea of developing countries to stop the destruction of the rain forest with a defiant cry: "Hands off our Amazon!" Now, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has come up with a more practical response to those who want to save one of the most precious environmental resources on the planet: "Put your money where your mouth is!"

The president signed a decree creating a fund that will seek donations from developed countries to help protect the Amazon rain forest and combat global warming. No one is ready to declare that the corner has been turned in the fight to protect this vital world treasure, but this is the most positive development in years and worthy of financial and political support by countries around the world.

Days earlier, the president took other actions designed to protect Brazil's portion of the rain forest, which is 60 percent of the rain forest's total span. He ordered inspectors to seize property and goods from people caught with illegally logged wood, and provided more agents to police the Amazon basin, which covers an area larger than Western Europe.

All of these measures are necessary if the rain forest is to have a chance to survive. Like the Everglades, the Amazon has been squeezed by a host of man-made pressures, losing 20 percent of its area in the last few decades. Brazil has some of the world's toughest environmental legislation, but enforcement has been lax. It remains to be seen whether da Silva is serious about getting tough with violators. But he is saying the right things and should be encouraged to follow through.

The best way to do that is for other countries to contribute to the Amazon preservation fund, even if Brazil insists on managing the proceeds. The target is $21 billion by 2021. The fund will support alternatives to forest-clearing for Amazon dwellers, promote sustainable development and scientific research, and combat illegal logging.

The amount of money raised is as important as the symbolic importance of the project. For the first time, Brazil is acknowledging the role that diminishing forests play in global warming. It is also owning up to its responsibility to take the lead in devising and enforcing an effective preservation strategy. If Brazil is prepared to act, others should be prepared to support it.

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