15.2.4

Impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon

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Impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has the following environmental and economic impacts:

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Environmental impact of Amazonian deforestation

  • Photosynthesis by trees in the Amazon absorbs 5% of the world's carbon emissions each year (2bn tons of CO2).
  • 100 billion tonnes of carbon are stored in the wood of the trees in the Amazon.
  • If the Amazon were completely deforested, it would release the 100bn tonnes and also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide taken out of the atmosphere by 2bn tons each year.
  • Trees anchor soil in the ground, bound to their roots. Deforestation damages the topsoil and once this has happened, the fertility of the ground is seriously damaged.
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Economic impact of Amazonian deforestation

  • Deforestation has fuelled the economic development of poor countries.
  • In 2018, Brazil exported $28bn worth of metals. The mining industry creates jobs, exports and helps increase Brazilian people's standard of living.
  • Similarly, hydroelectric power plants and cattle farms help to create jobs.
  • In 2018, Brazil became the world's largest exporter of beef.
  • Rio Tinto, an iron ore mining company employs 47,000 people globally and thousands of these are in Brazil.
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The rate of deforestation in the Amazon

  • In 2015, the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff claimed that the rate of deforestation had fallen by 83% and that actually Brazil was going to reforest the Amazon.
  • However, the policies under President Temer and President Bolsonaro has reversed Rousseff's plan. In 2019, under Bolsonaro, the rate of deforestation was increasing again.

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7Natural Resources

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