Approximately 18% of Amazonian forests were deforested and 17% suffered from degradation over the past 50 years. Scientists increasingly fear that the forest might soon reach a point of no return in which the forest loses its resilience to shocks and starts degrading indefinitely. This could transform the large areas of the rainforest in a savanna, impacting livelihoods at a global, regional, and local scale.
Maintaining the integrity of the entire biome is critical for biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, carbon storage, water flows and other ecosystem services. The threats and challenges impacting the Amazon region are interrelated, and with drivers and impacts that cross political borders. Actions in one country, with a silo-ed approach and not acknowledging the regional dynamics, can adversely affect actions in another country. Without proper harmonized policies and investments towards integrated conservation and development, centered around sustainable land and water management and improving ecological connectivity, efforts in one country can be counteracted by interventions in another. Conversely, working together under coordinated procedures and common visions will allow the countries to achieve greater, sustainable impact.
This session will bring together policymakers in the region to discuss the challenges they face in the Amazon, the multiple risks that the region faces, and how tackling them together can make action more effective.
The session would start by a presentation that argues the importance of good management of the Amazon for local, national, and global communities. This motivational presentation would be followed by a moderated panel including a policymakers, scientists, indigenous leaders, bankers, and donors.
