Affected Areas

South America
Africa
Asia

Consequences

Endangered Animals
Endangered Plants
Global Warming

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Practise Selective Logging

In Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and Guyana, the governments require loggers to practise selective logging which involves articulate selection of which specific tree species in logging activities. Only those trees which have been identified can be cut down, and the rest are left to grow. By doing this, the extent of deforestation is reduced.

Limiting Deforestation Activities

To discourage further deforestation, the governments also withdrew financial help to some land clearance projects. The stop in funding led to the collapse in such projects. For instance, to discourage clearing of land for new cattle ranches, the Brazilian government in 1988 stopped giving financial help and tax incentives to cattle ranchers. As a result, 30% less tropical rainforest was cleared between 1988 and 1990 in Brazil. Similarly, in Venezuela, the government withdrew the licenses of miners who destroyed the habitat of the Amazonian Indians in an effort to protect the inhabitants of the Amazon.

Setting Aside Protected Areas

The Amazonian governments have also set aside certain portions of the rainforest as protected areas. These areas are left undisturbed to allow the natural vegetation to grow over time. By doing this, the plant and animal species in the tropical rainforest are protected. In Venezuela, 60% of tropical rainforest has been set aside as protected areas.

Setting Aside Tribal Land Reserves

Some parts of the forest are set aside as tribal land reserves for the Amazonian Indians to protect their culture and habitat On such tribal land reserves, only the native Amazonian Indians can clear the forest and use the land to build houses and grow crops they need to survive on. They are not allowed to sell or exchange the land with anyone. This means that loggers and commercial farmers and investors are kept out of the areas where the Amazonian Indians live. In Colombia, nearly 200 000 Km² of the tropical rainforest has been set aside for the Amazonian Indians as tribal land reserves.

Heavily deforested area in Venezuela

The Amazon River

A tribesman smoking through his nose