Deforested Area in the Amazon

Cutting through the Brazilian Amazon from north to south over a vast distance of 1700 km, for the past 20 years the BR 163 federal highway has been one of the major drivers of deforestation in the region. The highway has been paved at a cost of nearly one million Reais per kilometre. Yet many of the social and environmental initiatives have not been implemented. Of the 6.8 million hectares of protected areas created in 2006, many areas have now been reduced, boundaries redefined and only a few have management plans. Lack of governance is prevalent in the area surrounding the road with considerable deforestation, cattle ranchers and loggers invading protected areas. Brazil is currently one of the biggest global climate polluters through forest destruction and its leadership of forest protection is hanging by a thread. Greenpeace is calling on President Dilma to veto the new Forest Code and support the Brazilian people’s call for a Zero Deforestation law.