Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 June 2018

Tropical forests see high loss of tree cover for 2nd year

By SARAH DiLORENZO where they accounted for
Associated Press 31 percent of tree cover
SAO PAULO (AP) — Co- loss last year, according to
lombia saw a dramatic the data.
increase in forest degra- “Fires are playing a bigger
dation last year and levels role and basically bringing
in Brazil remain historically carbon emissions back up
high, according to new to the general range where
satellite data released they were when deforesta-
Wednesday. tion rates were so high in
The data from the University the early 2000s,” said Mi-
of Maryland show tropical kaela Weisse, a research
forests around the globe analyst at the World Re-
lost 15.8 million hectares (39 sources Institute.
million acres) of tree cover Fires are increasing partially
in 2017 — an area the size because of the effects of
of Bangladesh. That makes climate change but the
2017 the second-worst year majority are set by peo-
on record, after 2016, since ple clearing land for other
researchers began gather- uses, Weisse said. A lack of
ing the data in 2001. Loss- enforcement of bans on
es in Brazil, home to most setting fires and other for-
of the Amazon rainforest, est destruction as well as
made up nearly 30 percent In this Sept. 15, 2009 file photo, a forest in the Amazon is burned illegally near Novo Progresso, in a rollback in environmen-
of the total — more than the northern Brazilian state of Para. tal protections by Brazilian
losses in any other single Associated Press President Michel Temer’s
country. “These numbers jump: Tree cover loss rose ging have rushed in. whether the loss is perma- government were likely
show an alarming story of 46 percent in 2017 from Colombian President Juan nent, while also recording leading to the increase in
the situation for the world’s the previous year, and the Manuel Santos acknowl- leaf-loss in small areas and human-set fires, experts
rainforests,” Andreas Dahl- number of hectares lost — edged that the rebels’ re- capturing forest cover lost from the institute said.
Jorgensen, deputy director nearly 425,000 — was more treat was partially respon- to fire. But such data are Brazil’s Environment Ministry
of Norway’s International than double the average sible for deforestation in an useful because they can said it could not immedi-
Climate and Forest Initia- loss from 2001 through 2015. interview with The Associ- provide a more complete ately comment because it
tive, told reporters when The World Resources Insti- ated Press on Monday. But snapshot of disturbances to had not reviewed the data.
the figures were presented. tute, which released the he said the government is the world’s forests. Other data monitoring de-
“It’s really a call to action data on its Global Forest training security forces to Many other deforestation forestation in the Brazilian
for everyone.” Watch platform, linked the protect the Amazon. Dur- figures, for instance, don’t Amazon have noted that
This week, Norway is host- increase to the Colombian ing Santos’ presidency, count trees lost to fire, destruction appears to be
ing the Oslo Tropical Forest government’s peace deal protected areas in Colom- which doesn’t necessarily up again after a decrease
Forum, which will address with FARC rebels, who had bia expanded threefold. result in the permanent loss last year. The most recent
how protecting forests can severely limited commer- The data released Wednes- of a tree, but increases car- data from the nonprofit
contribute to meeting the cial use of large forested day measure “tree cover bon emissions, make trees Institute of Man and the
Paris climate goals. areas they controlled for loss,” or the death of a more vulnerable to future Environment of Amazonia
While Colombia’s losses decades. With the rebels tree’s leaves. The data fires and can lead to less showed that the area de-
were a much smaller pro- no longer in control, land might give a more pessimis- biodiversity. Fires are be- forested in May 2018 was
portion of the total, the speculators and people tic picture than other defor- coming an increasingly im- about 70 percent larger
South American country who are clearing land for estation figures since they portant part of the picture compared to the same
experienced a worrying farming, mining and log- don’t take into account in the Brazilian Amazon, month a year earlier. q

Colombia to use herbicide drones against record coca harvest

Associated Press ago banned the aerial which ground-based eradi-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) spraying of coca crops in cation crews spray glypho-
— Colombia’s government response to a constitution- sate herbicide from tanks
said Tuesday it has autho- al court ruling pointing out mounted on their backs.
rized the use of herbicide- health and environmental He added that Colombia
spraying drones to tackle risks. aims to remove 110,000
a record surge in cocaine But he said Tuesday that hectares of coca this use
production. drones fly at lower altitudes through forced eradication
The decision was an- than spray planes and are and crop substitution pro-
nounced a day after a akin to current practices by grams. q
White House report said
that land devoted to coca
production in Colombia
had surged to a record
209,000 hectares (516,450
In this March 3, 2017 file photo, workers harvest coca leaves in acres) last year.
Puerto Bello, in the southern Colombia’s state of Putumayo. Outgoing President Juan
Associated Press Manuel Santos three years