Deforestation is one of the biggest global problems, it being a practice that is hard to control, because world forest reserves spread over international borders. Although global governments and environmental protecting organizations have always put measures to curb the practice, still deforestation remains one of the biggest threats to the survival of not only the world’s flora and fauna, but also to the survival of the human species.
One of the most affected forest reserves are the world’s tropical rainforests for example, the Amazon and the African tropical rainforest, which covers a better portion of the Congo basin, Corte Devoir, Zaire and some sections of West Africa.
In America, the Brazilian Amazon rainforest is one of most affected rainforest, a fact that research findings attribute to the nature of development initiatives and extensive agricultural ventures undertaken by the people of Brazil.
Over the recent past Brazil has been on the limelight, because of its contribution, as far as the Destruction of the Amazon tropical-rainforest reserve is concerned. Such destructions are primary causes of the current unpredictable climatic changes that are root causes of the prevailing environmental, social, and economic problems facing countries, for example, drought and global warming.
The Amazon tropical rainforest is the home of thousands of flora and fauna species, which are rare in other forest reserves, because of the favorable environmental conditions of the forest.
In addition to thriving of flora and fauna, since time memorial the Amazon tropical forest has been the home of many indigenous tribes, a number that is decreasing rapidly hence, unless the government puts in place mitigating measures to curb deforestation, likelihoods of these tribes disappearing are high. In Brazil alone, human activities have led to the disappearance of more than ninety Brazilian Indigenous tribes, which played a central role in the production medicinal herbs.
On the other, it is important to note that, the Amazon forest is of significance as far as climatic control is concerned, because of its significance in the recycling of carbon dioxide. Compounding these factors and the fact that most Brazilian environmental protection bodies’ initiatives to conserve the forest have yielded little, the issue is of great concern, because the Amazon is a global and not a national heritage.
One primary cause of the increased deforestation in Brazil is the increased rate of subsistence farming, as most individuals are have encroached and cleared the Amazon forestland for agricultural projects. Two main farming practices commonly practiced by Brazilians are breading and rearing of cattle and planting of soybeans. These practises require large pieces of land hence, the continued destruction of the Amazon forest to sustain the practices.
Another factor that has contributed to the increased destruction of the Brazilian Amazon is the increased infrastructural development ventures by the government, for example, the construction of the two thousand miles road project of 1970s, which passed through the forest.
On the other hand, because the forest is reach in varied tree species of highest timber, another primary cause of the increased rate of deforestation is logging, a practice that consumes more than twenty three thousand three in a month.
Although agriculture contributes greatly to Brazil’s economy, it being one of the biggest producers of animal and soybean products globally, in most cases most agricultural practices adopted by farmers do not take into consideration the effects of their practices on the well-being of the environment.
Brazil’s deforestation has great effects on the global climatic conditions, because of the role played by the Amazon rain forest on climate control. Excessive production of greenhouse gases and clearing of vast amounts of vegetation has led to the increased build up of green house gases. Such accumulations are major causes of global warming, a fact that has led to increased global calamities, for example, flooding and drought.
In addition, because of the richness of the Amazon forest with many species of flora and fauna, destruction of the forest reserve has led to the disappearance of the world’s indigenous and rare species of flora and fauna; hence, the need for workable solutions to the problem.
In conclusion, although the Brazilian government has put up measures to control the rate of deforestation, there is need for it to review its land control and tax policies, as a measure of ensuring its farmers do not reap big profits from their farming activities, at the expense of the environment.