Tax reduction of the Amazon rain forests

25.500 square kilometres of forest vanished in a year

The new measure for deforestation, announced by the Brazilian government, shocked the conservators who said that it takes drastic measures for changing the trend of sudden deforestation in the last year.

The biggest tropical rain forests in the world are being rapidly destroyed for the needs of agriculture, changing the land into fields for growing soy and for animal farms.

On the basis of the annual review of the satellite recordings of the Brazilian National Institute for space examination (INPE), it was determined that between July 2001 and June 2002, 25.500 square kilometres of Amazon forest have disappeared. 

The Brazilian government declared that they plan to invest 40 billion dollars for construction of roads, railway lines, hydroelectric centrals, long-distance power lines and gas pipes in Amazonia during the next few years. Roads will be built with a total length of 5 000 miles. The government claims that these activities will have only limited effects on Amazonia.

 

G. Sh.