Implementing prevention and control policies for reducing deforestation

Countries
Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Climate Objective
Mitigation
Planning and Implementation Activity
Developing and Implementing Policies and Measures
Governance and Stakeholder Engagement
Linking with the Sustainable Development Goals
Sectors and Themes
Agriculture
Infrastructure and Industry
Forestry and Other Land Use
Waste
Barriers Overcome
Capacity
Financial
Information
Institutional
Source
Global Good Practice Analysis (GIZ UNDP)
Language
English
French
Spanish
Case Summary

Since 2004, the Brazilian government has been implementing the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm) aimed at reducing illegal cutting of forests and based on a three pillared strategy which includes: (i) territorial and land-use planning, (ii) environmental control and monitoring, and (iii) fostering sustainable production activities.

Dozens of government agencies were deployed to tackle what seemed to be an uncontrollable problem. The PPCDAm is led by 13 ministries initially under the direct coordination of the Executive Office of the Presidency, and more recently transferred to the Ministry of Environment. For ten consecutive years, over 200 measures were implemented in the region, including: creation of protected areas, demarcation of indigenous lands, battling corruption in government agencies and companies, combating "illegal occupation" of public land (land grabbing), transparency in environmental monitoring, involving different police forces, and improvement of satellite monitoring systems.

As a result of these measures, deforestation has fallen significantly in the Brazilian Amazon. While in 2004 annual forest loss reached 27,700 km2, by 2012 this figure had been reduced to 4,500 km2, representing a reduction of almost 84%, despite the continued growth in agricultural production in the Northern region (see diagram below).


Further Information

Case study author(s)

Authors: Mauro Oliveira Pires, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservaçào da Biodiversidade

Edited by: Nicholas Harrison (Ecofys)

Editorial support: Frauke Röser, Thomas Day, Daniel Lafond, Niklas Höhne and Katja Eisbrenner (Ecofys).

Coordination by: Ecofys www.ecofys.com and CLACDS, INCAE Business School

Contact
Juliana Simoes, Manager, Department for Policies Against Deforestation (Minister of Environment - MMA), Juliana.simoes@mma.gov.br George Ferreira, general monitoring coordinator, Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), george.ferreira@ibama.gov.br Johaness Eck, Civil House of the Presidency, Johaness@presidencia.gov.br