Brazil's election could determine Amazon's environmental future

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 12:33 · Archive

Brazil's presidential election on Sunday could determine whether the Amazon rainforest reaches an irreversible tipping point.

Brazil's presidential election on Sunday could prove critical for the Amazon rainforest, with climate scientists and environmentalists saying the result will determine whether the forest reaches an irreversible tipping point. The threshold would occur when the dense, humid, moisture-generating forest shifts to a drier ecosystem, bringing irreversible consequences for biodiversity and the climate. The forest absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives global temperature rise. Brazil contains about 60 per cent of the Amazon, which spans several South American countries.

The two candidates represent sharply different approaches to Amazon policy, despite neither making it a major campaign topic. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, has sought to curb deforestation and finance a sustainable economy through international donations and public and private funding. If he wins, he is expected to continue those policies.

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has said he does not believe climate change is real whilst casting himself as an environmental defender. He has offered few details on his plans for forest protection or financing, but has called for a 'modernization' of environmental laws and giving Amazon landowners more decision-making power. Environmentalists argue such changes would weaken safeguards and allow deforestation to accelerate.

How it is being reported

• How close is the Amazon to a 'tipping point?' Brazil’s election could help shape its futureBrazil's presidential election could be a turning point for the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest.Clickorlando · 23 Oct, 12:04
• How close is the Amazon to a 'tipping point?' Brazil’s election could help shape its futureBrazil's presidential election could be a turning point for the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest.News4Jax · 23 Oct, 12:04

In this story: Brazil · Amazon · Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva · Flávio Bolsonaro · Jair Bolsonaro

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