Brésil : nouvelle accélération de la déforestation de l'Amazonie

Au Brésil, la déforestation de l'Amazonie a atteint 5 843 km2 sur un an, en hausse de 28 % par rapport à l'année précédente, a annoncé jeudi 14 novembre la ministre de l'environnement du pays, Izabella Teixeira.

"Nous confirmons une hausse du taux de déforestation de 28 %, de 5 843 km2" de forêt, a déclaré Mme Teixeira lors d'une conférence de presse. Ce résultat encore provisoire couvre la période allant d'août 2012 à juillet 2013.


Le déboisement a été particulièrement important dans les états du Para et du Mato Grosso, terres de grands producteurs de soja et de grands éleveurs de bovins. Mme Teixeira a fixé une réunion d'urgence avec les secrétaires à l'environnement des états amazoniens pour leur demander des explications.

Malgré cette hausse, il s'agit du deuxième taux le plus faible de déforestation au Brésil après les 4 571 km² enregistrés en 2012 (contre 6 418 km² en 2011). En 2004, année record, 27 000 km² de forêts avaient été dévastés.
lemonde.fr
14/11/13
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• Brésil: la justice suspend la construction du gigantesque barrage de Belo Monte.

• Brazil court orders resumption of work on Amazon Belo Monte dam.

• Αποψίλωση του Αμαζονίου για ηλεκτρισμό

• Έγκλημα στον Αμαζόνιο

• Βραζιλία: Νίκη-ορόσημο για τους ιθαγενείς του Αμαζονίου

• Πλατφόρμα για την παρακολούθηση της αποψίλωσης του Αμαζονίου

Brazil court orders resumption of work on Amazon Belo Monte dam.

AFP - A Brazilian court on Wednesday ordered work to resume on a dam in the Amazon, reversing a ruling that had ordered a stoppage over environmental concerns, the project consortium said.
A Norte Energia statement said the president of the Federal Court in Brasilia lifted the suspension on the Belo Monte dam.
Another judge had ordered the consortium to halt the work Friday, saying it had not met its environmental commitments.
Just as the 20,000 workers were preparing to stop work at the dam, located in the northern state of Para, Judge Mario Cesar Ribeiro said only a special court could rule on a suspension, according to a spokesman.

Federal Court Judge Antonio Souza had suspended the project's environmental license as well work at the dam last week after state prosecutors charged that Norte Energia had failed to comply with environmental commitments.
But Norte Energia insisted that it was "rigorously complying with its obligations and commitments."

Indigenous groups fear the dam across the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, will harm their way of life. Environmentalists have warned of deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and irreparable damage to the ecosystem.
Belo Monte, a $13 billion project aiming to produce 11,000 megawatts of electricity, is expected to flood a 500-square-kilometer (300-square-mile) area, displacing 16,000 people, according to the government.
It would be the third-biggest dam in the world, after China's Three Gorges and Brazil's Itaipu in the south.
france24.com
30/10/13
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Related:

• Brésil: la justice suspend la construction du gigantesque barrage de Belo Monte. 

• Αποψίλωση του Αμαζονίου για ηλεκτρισμό

• Έγκλημα στον Αμαζόνιο

• Mάχη των ιθαγενών για το δάσος στο Εκουαδόρ

• Βραζιλία: Νίκη-ορόσημο για τους ιθαγενείς του Αμαζονίου

• Πλατφόρμα για την παρακολούθηση της αποψίλωσης του Αμαζονίου

Brésil: la justice suspend la construction du gigantesque barrage de Belo Monte.

Foto: en.wikipedia.org

Un juge d'un tribunal fédéral de Brasilia a ordonné la suspension des travaux de construction du gigantesque barrage de Belo Monte, en Amazonie brésilienne, vivement contesté par les écologistes et les populations locales, a annoncé lundi une porte-parole de la cour.

Le juge Antonio Souza Prudente a prononcé la suspension de l'autorisation environnementale accordée au projet et l'arrêt des travaux du barrage hydroélectrique, situé sur le fleuve Xingu, dans l'Etat du Para (nord), selon cette porte-parole.
Prise vendredi, la décision du juge interdit à la banque publique BNDES, qui finance le projet, de débloquer des fonds tant que tous les engagements sociaux-environnementaux n'auront pas été tenus par les promoteurs. "Nous ne nous opposons pas au développement du pays mais nous affirmons qu'il faut respecter la loi", avait déclaré le procureur de l'Etat du Para.

La décision du juge Souza Prudente fait effet jusqu'à ce que les magistrats de ce tribunal se réunissent en collège et statuent sur sa validité.
Norte Energia, responsable du projet, a indiqué à l'AFP ne pas avoir encore été informée de cette décision judiciaire mais a affirmé que "toutes les obligations et les engagements de l'entreprise sont rigoureusement respectés".

• Belo Monte est le barrage le plus important en cours d'édification au Brésil et le troisième du monde, derrière celui d'Itaipu (Brésil et Paraguay) et des Trois Gorges (Chine). Il fournira 11 233 mégawatts, soit 11% de la capacité installée du pays, et la première tranche devrait entrer en service en 2015. Sa mise en place entraînera l'inondation de 502 km2. Son coût est estimé à 13 milliards de dollars.

• Même si leurs terres ne seront pas inondées, l'édification du barrage risque de changer le mode de vie des communautés indiennes vivant aux alentours, qui ne pourront plus pêcher pour leur subsistance en raison de la dérivation des cours d'eau.

AFP
rtbf.be
28/10/13 
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• Yangtze River sees highest flood peak of the year, Three Gorges Dam reservoir reaching 48,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday

• Αποψίλωση του Αμαζονίου για ηλεκτρισμό

• Έγκλημα στον Αμαζόνιο

• Mάχη των ιθαγενών για το δάσος στο Εκουαδόρ

• Βραζιλία: Νίκη-ορόσημο για τους ιθαγενείς του Αμαζονίου

• Πλατφόρμα για την παρακολούθηση της αποψίλωσης του Αμαζονίου

Traditional Amazon boat-making ....

Watch Video cctv

In the waterways of the Amazon basin, ships and boats are a lifeline connecting isolated communities with more developed areas. And indigenously-made wooden boats continue to be a mainstay of transportation in the region. In Macapa, Brazil, tradesmen still practice traditional ship-building--making the city a hub for the craft.
No giant factories, no complex machines. The Amazon’s traditional wooden boats are built in outdoor workshops like these. Craftsmen here use just their hands and simple tools to build and renovate the vessels.
Marcos Ramos, craftsman, said "I have learnt ship-building from my father since I was very little. I started from simpler techniques when I was eight, and when I reached the age of 16, I was capable of building a ship all by myself."
 

In the waterways of the Amazon basin, ships and boats are a lifeline connecting isolated communities with more developed areas.

From the initial design to the last nail, Marcos and his sons build every ship entirely by themselves. He’s lost count of how many ships he’s made over the last 23 years--his experience and skills have amassed a loyal group of customers in the region.
Jose Souza, local resident, said "He is very talented and his ships have the best quality, everybody knows that. In fact, he constructed this ship together with his family. He built the main frame, one of his sons made the exterior decoration, and his other son finished the varnishing. This boat is the fruit of family collaboration."
Marcos infuses each ship with immense thought and care-the choice of wood is one example.

In the waterways of the Amazon basin, ships and boats are a lifeline connecting isolated communities with more developed areas.

Marcos said "Normally I would pick sucupira or itauba. They are tree species particular to the Amazon forest. Because they are very tenacious and resistant to decay. If I used any other woods, the ship wouldn’t last long before all kinds of problems would emerge."
Although these ships are such an important part of the life in the Amazon, the traditional shipbuilding craft is on the decline.
Marcos says his sons are willing to help for now, but they don’t want to dedicate their lives to the trade. Eventually, they’ll probably leave his workshop, but in the meantime, they’ll help him build this ship-after six months, when it’s finished, it will be sent out to the river, when the flood tide rises and invites the boat to its currents.
.cntv.cn
6/4/13
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Related:

• Marvelous Amazon River....The Pororoca Phenomenon (2VIDEO)

• Spectacular scenes expected from Amazon River tide....The Pororoca Phenomenon (VIDEO)

 

Marvelous Amazon River....The Pororoca Phenomenon (2VIDEO)

Watch Video CCTV

The Amazon river's volume of water runoff makes up 20 percent of the world’s total. Let’s take a look now at the source of this imposing rivers and its impressive natural beauty.
The Amazon River originates in the Andes Mountain in south Peru. It travels 6-thousand-nine-hundred-and-ninety-two-point-six kilometers before feeding into the Atlantic Ocean. It passes through Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela on its way to the sea. The Amazon’s river basin covers an area of more than seven million square kilometers. Its water yield is one ninth of the world’s total fresh water.
About 6600 billion square kilometers of water runs into the Atlantic. It is called ’the king of rivers’. The longest stretch of the Amazon is to be found in Brazil, and the people there are very proud of it. A clear boundary is formed at the place where the Amazon river meets the Rio Negro River. This boundary is about seven kilometers long.

It’s romantically called the "marriage of the rivers". After this "marriage," the Amazon then flows into the Atlantic. At the beginning of 15th century, Europeans started to development stretches along the Amazon river. The Amazon got its name from Spanish explorers. The indigenous Indian female warriors were so courageous that the Europeans named them Amazon warriors, after the Amazons of ancient Greek mythology. And this is where the river derives its name. 

Amazon: World´s second longest river
The Amazon River in South America is the second longest river in the world. It is by far the largest by water flow with an average flow greater than the next seven largest rivers combined. Full story>>
.cntv.cn 
5/4/13
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Spectacular scenes expected from Amazon River tide....The Pororoca Phenomenon (VIDEO)

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Spectacular scenes expected from Amazon River tide....The Pororoca Phenomenon (VIDEO)

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The pororoca is a tidal bore up to 4 meters high that travels upstream the Amazon River. Its name comes from the indigenous Tupi language, where it translates into "great destructive noise". It occurs at the mouth of the river where river water meets the Atlantic Ocean. The phenomenon is best seen in February and March, where waves up to 4 meters rolling for up to 35 minutes have been observed.

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***The Amazon River in South America is the second longest river in the world. It is by far the largest by water flow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined.

 The Amazon, which has the largest drainage basin in the world, accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world’s total river flow.

The tidal bore in the Amazon River, together with that of the Qiantang River in China and the Ganges River in south Asia are the most well-known tides worldwide.

Starting today, we (cntv.cn) will bring you nine-days of special reports to unveil the mystery of the Amazon River tide.
 .cntv.cn
4/4/13

Indigenous community clashes with loggers in the Amazon

Trucks filled with timber from illegal logging operations in the Amazon have been stopped in their tracks by an indigenous village protesting the continued exploitation of their lands.
With little or no support from the local or federal authorities, the Pukobjê-Gavião people in Maranhão state, Brazil, are refusing to stand aside as their forests are destroyed by illegal loggers.
The Pukobjê-Gavião have blocked four trucks and a tractor filled with fresh timber from leaving their lands. 
Frederico Pereira Guajajara, a member of the neighboring Indigenous Land “Arariboia”, says he was assaulted as he began filming the Pukobjê-Gavião protests as the trucks were trying to leave their land.

"Loggers beat me on my head, pushed me, broke my phone and wanted to throw me in the fire, but did not because the other Indians started to leave," he said.
The Federal Police were informed of the confrontation by the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) and the Federal Public Ministry.
The police arrived to investigate and seized the logger’s equipment but left the land empty-handed just hours later. A group of 100 people – made up of loggers, according to media reports – barricaded the access road to the territory with burning tires, preventing the police from leaving the indigenous land with the seized machinery.
According to Augusto Gavião – a leader from a village of the same name – the police have since left the area, without giving any notice.
"We are not able to go to the city, because it is dangerous for us. We are being threatened by loggers, they call here and say they will kill us," Gavião said.
"The situation is not resolved. We are waiting for Funai (the Brazilian National Indian Foundation) to contact us again, this time with the prosecutors and police. The trucks will have to be removed from here."
The public prosecutor from the municipality of Imperatriz, Douglas Fernandes, said they are demanding the Federal Police, Funai and Ibama resolve the case. He said the illegal logging of indigenous lands is common practice in the region.
In May 2012, Greenpeace denounced the destructive logging practices in the region – driven by the production of pig iron – the raw material of steel.
An investigative report about the impacts of the pig iron industry was released showing the degrading conditions in this production chain, including invasion of protected areas for illegal logging and charcoal used in the work by slave labour.
Two months after the allegations, the pig iron industry of Maranhão signed a public commitment for zero deforestation in its supply chain. Under the agreement, producers have two years to implement a monitoring system to ensure that none of their suppliers produce coal with wood from native forests or deforestation to plant eucalyptus trees that are turned into charcoal.
Lack of governance and the new Forest Code has made a case for a Zero Deforestation Law in Brazil.
In March, a petition for a zero deforestation law in Brazil was launched.
Just a few months later, over 600,000 people have signed onto the citizen’s initiative.
According to Brazil’s laws, if 1.4 million people support the Zero Deforestation initiative, it could be presented to the Brazilian Congress and become law. Learn more about the Zero Deforestation Law and support Brazil’s call to end Amazon destruction.
greenpeace.org
18/1/13

The future of the Amazon uncertain | Greenpeace International

For ten years, the fate of Brazil’s forests have hung in the balance as the future of the Forest Code has been up for grabs. We’ve see the debate over the law come to a head over the last few years, as the agribusiness sector pressed the Congress for major changes to the law and the scientific community and 80% of the public opposed drastic changes to the law.
Today, President Dilma has ignored the call of the people of Brazil and taken final steps to approve a new law that opens the Amazon up for destruction. 
President Dilma Rouseff announced today, approval of the provisional measures of the new Forest Code with 9 partial vetoes,  making the law that has protected the Amazon for almost 70 years a thing of the past, paving the way for new areas of expansion for the agribusiness sector and granting amnesty for past forest criminals. Vetoes sound like a a drastic measure but in reality they will do nothing new to protect the Amazon. ........The future of the Amazon uncertain | Greenpeace International