9 Sustainable management of Amazonia

In the Amazon region of South America ¹ current economic policies, incentives and investment strategies are blamed for widespread deforestation and the degradation of the region’s tropical forests. ² Much of the region’s forest appears to be disappearing at an alarming rate. This is leading to further ecological disruptions through changes in soil quality and erosion, water runoff, rainfall patterns and local climate. There may also be important consequences for the biosphere if excessive Amazonian deforestation continues: forests act as absorbers of carbon dioxide. Forest removal by burning for clearance contributes directly to CO₂ and other greenhouse gases build-up by adding to emissions, and indirectly by reducing the CO₂ ‘sink’ on the earth’s surface. To understand the reasons for these concerns, it is necessary to appreciate the complexity and vastness of the Amazonian ecosystem. ³