Reducing deforestation in tropical rainforest

• UN Forum on Forests was established in 2000 and is committed to the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests
• The UN Sustainable Development Goals include the sustainable management of forests
• International: Trade restrictions on endangered species and timber have been imposed. For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species
• International: Debt reduction countries are relieved of some of the debt in return for protecting rainforests. For example, in 2008 the USA reduced Peru's debt by $25 million in exchange for the rainforest conservation
• International organisations such as Greenpeace and WWF monitor deforestation
• National: Brazil's forest code requires landowners to maintain a proportion of their land as forest. However, the amount they need to maintain was reduced from 80% to 50% in 2012
• National: In 2004 the DETER satelite was launched. It started by sending reports every two weeks to rangers. In 2011 began sending daily reports meaning that patrols could target areas of suspicious activity but it only detects areas over 250m2 so people clearing simply reduce the size of the area they clear. It was estimated in some areas this led to a 60% decrease in large scale deforestation
• National: Establishment of more national parks. There are 68 National Parks in Brazil. These are protected areas where the aim is to conserve the ecosystem
• Selective logging is where mature trees to be felled are selected, felled and removed causing the least possible damage to surrounding trees. The logging site is inspected to ensure impacts were mitigated
• Afforestation to plant new trees replacing those which have been felled
• Local: Agroforestry combines agriculture with forestry, which means some trees remain. This decreases deforestation, increases biodiversity due to the variety of plants grown, provides shade as well as increases infiltration and interception, which reduces soil erosion, and provides organic matter from the trees and adds nutrients to the soil
• Local: Education of people involved in the explotation and management of the rainforest to promote the value and benefits of biodiversity associated with tropical rainforests
• Local: Small scale projects such as the Marajo Project which preserves almost 90,000 hectares of Amazon forest. It includes a tree nursery to grow saplings to be planted in areas which have been cleared, and agroforestry is encouraged reducing the need to over cultivate and clear areas. It includes a cooperative to support 49 local producers growing açai berries and building of natural fish tanks to improve food security
• School-based agricultural education and scholarships
• Local: Ecotourism is becoming widespread. It features a focus on the natural environment by ensuring a low impact on the environment-uning materials from the local area and buildings to blend in with the environment and informing tourists about the local environment and wildlife. Ecotourism supports local communities-using locally grown food and employing local people. A proportion of the income gained from ecotourism is reinvesting ins conservation