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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Letters

How Brazil protects the Amazon’s forests

The Amazon rainforest canopy at dawn in Brazil
The Amazon rainforest canopy at dawn. ‘All infrastructure projects in Brazil are conditioned on careful and thorough environmental impact assessments.’ Photograph: Peter van der Sleen/University of Leeds/PA

The article Hydropower dam project may tear heart out of Amazon rainforest, warn activists (15 June) omits Brazil’s strong engagement with the sustainable development of the Amazon region. All infrastructure projects in Brazil are conditioned on careful and thorough environmental impact assessments. Environmentally protected areas in Brazil exceed 1.5m sq km. Indigenous lands amount to an additional area of over 1.1m sq km – more than the UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands and Poland combined.

Brazil has achieved about 80% reduction in Amazon deforestation over the past decade, and has committed to eliminate illegal deforestation and restore and reforest an area roughly the size of England. It is also taking actions to expand the use of renewable energy sources other than hydropower in its total energy mix to between 28% and 33% by 2030.
Eduardo dos Santos
Ambassador of Brazil to the UK, London

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

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