Rainforest fund launched by Brazillian premier
People with property in Brazil may be interested to hear of an ambitious new project launched in the country to support conservation.
A new international fund has been established which will allow countries, companies and non-governmental organisations to donate money in a bid to promote sustainable development in the Amazon rainforest.
Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said the country hopes to have raised some $21 billion (£11 billion) by 2021 to encourage projects such as rubber tapping, forestry management and drug development from plants in a non-invasive way for the forests.
"We are conscious of what the Amazon represents for the world. It’s better for the country’s image to do things right, so we can walk in international forums with our heads high," he remarked.
World environmental organisation Greenpeace said it was pleased with the move, as it is the first time the country’s officials have accepted the forests must be saved if global warming is to be reduced.
The Amazon covers five per cent of the world’s surface and several South American countries; however, 60 per cent of the rainforest is within Brazil’s borders.
