Supplementary written evidence from WWF (SAM0021)
In addition to the maps and information already sent, we would like to support the inquiry with the following information, as requested.
- An overview in table form of deforestation by country by year (2001-2016) in KM2 for South America, derived from Global Forest Watch data. See first tab of the attached excel file.
- A deeper-dive into Brazil, showing deforestation by state for 2012-2016 derived from Global Forest Watch data. Second tab of excel file.
- For comparison, deforestation by Brazilian state for 2012-2016 derived from PRODES data (Brazil’s official monitoring data produced by the national space agency). Third tab.
- Oil and gas claims by Brazilian state, with a summary table. Forth tab.
- Mining projects by Brazilian state, with a summary table. Fifth tab.
In addition to this information, we highly recommend the two articles below, for an overview of the most recent deforestation trends in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado, according to PRODES data, with useful graphs that can be used:
Cerrado deforestation trends (with graphs): https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/deforestation-in-brazils-cerrado-falls/
Amazon deforestation trends (with graphs): https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/amazon-deforestation-at-highest-level-in-10-years-says-brazil/
Key analysis points:
- The first thing to highlight is that there is no one reference source for forest loss data. Each remote sensing method has its pros and cons and can vary substantially in the results depending on the satellite data and analysis used. For example, if you compare the second and third tabs, the results for the same state can vary substantially between Global Forest Watch and PRODES. While PRODES is the nationally recognised data-set, Global Forest Watch allows for comparative analysis across the globe. Both will underestimate forest loss – for example, clearance of forest will be detected more easily than forest degradation/disturbance. For a paper that compares the two datasets, see: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7e1e/pdf
- Looking across the region, Brazil has by far the largest amount of forest loss. Argentina and Paraguay are second and third. This will not only be loss dense tropical forest (Amazon in case of Brazil, Atlantic Rainforest in case of all three), but also loss of savannah-type vegetation such as cerrado, chaco and caatinga. See the maps previously sent for a visual representation of the areas of forest loss.
- For Brazil, the below graph gives the overview. Source for below, is available on Global Forest Watch platform here
This is complemented with the PRODES data for the Brazilian Legal Amazon (from Mongabay link above):
Both show a concerning increase in 2016. Further analysis would be needed to fully understand why this trend has come about. It does coincide with a period of political and economic instability and strong political presence of the ruralist lobby.
- In terms of oil, gas and mining, it would require substantial further work to be able to provide clear insights on the link between extractives and deforestation. This is because concessions normally cover a much larger area than the actual operations, and within these areas there may be many different drivers of deforestation, over and above the mining activity itself. For example, the existence of road infrastructure can have a significant influence on deforestation rates. What we are able to show is the number of concessions. For an analysis of how these overlap with protected areas and indigenous lands in the Amazon, see page 52 of the WWF Living Amazon Report (although this will be a bit out of date now). https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/wwf-living-amazon-report-2016
December 2018