new data Studies have shown that deforestation in the Amazon fell by 34% in the first six months of Lula’s presidency.
“However, Brazil’s Congress remains out of Lula’s control and recently approved a proposal that would strip the Ministry of the Environment of its oversight of rural land registries and remove the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ power to delineate indigenous lands. Both measures pave the way for deforestation to return to unimaginably harmful levels.”
protector
The Amazon rainforest is now standing on the edge of a cliff irreversible tipping point. Scientists have issued dire warnings, urging immediate action to stop the destruction that is underway.
In response, activists are pushing for the enactment of the Brazilian Ecocide Act, which they say will provide much-needed protection for the Amazon and its ecosystems and will support the rights of indigenous communities to continue guarding the forest.
Jojo Mehta, executive director of Stop Ecocide International, emphasized the timeliness and importance of the bill, which she said was a rallying point for civil society and social movements, enabling them to navigate the increasingly challenging political environment. Advocate for change in the environment.
right
With the enactment of ecocide laws, activists have been advocating for the recognition of nature’s rights.
This legal concept confers personality-like rights on nature and aims to protect and preserve ecosystems. In Brazil, natural rights law has begun to gain traction.
For example, the municipality of Bonito, in the state of Pernambuco, enacted a Natural Rights Act in 2017. Two other cities in Brazil, Portalo and Florianópolis, have also included provisions related to natural rights in their legislation.
These efforts reflect a growing awareness of the intrinsic value of nature and the need to preserve its well-being through legal means.
In June 2023, the Municipal Council of Guajara-Mirimov recognized the right of the Brazilian Raj River to “maintain its natural flow”, “nourish” and “be nourished”, the first ruling of its kind in Brazil. Marks a major milestone in protecting rivers and forests from ecocide.
milestone
Ecocide and the right to nature differ in approach but share the same goal: legal protection of nature under the Constitution.
While ecocide laws deal with the destruction or severe damage of ecosystems and criminalize those responsible, natural rights laws give legal status to natural entities. This enables landscapes such as forests and rivers to be represented in court and granted certain rights and protections.
In Ecuador, natural law rights have reached historic milestones. Court rulings in favor of the Alambie River and the Quito No Mining campaign translated landscape rights into legal language, further strengthening environmental protections.
Amazon: Heart of Mother Earth It has sparked an international debate on why ecocide measures are needed not only in Brazil but globally. The film’s message is clear: Permanent demarcation and protection of indigenous lands is the most viable way to stop deforestation in the Amazon.
the author
Yasmin Dahnoun is the author of ecologist. This article is based on Stop Ecocide International Press release.
