Norway announces it will once again back 'globally significant' fund to save Amazon forest

With Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's return to the Brazilian Presidential office, the fund to save the Amazon Forest once again has strong backing. Norway, a major donor to the Amazon Fund on Monday announced the revival of the initiative for backing the protection of the forest often referred to as the Earth's lungs.

Announcing the  revival of the fund that is aimed at fighting the removal of vegetation in the Amazon, Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide said "Brazil's new President has signalled a clear ambition to stop deforestation by 2030."

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"He has reinstated strategies to make this happen, and appointed ministers with substantial knowledge and expertise in the area," added Eide.

In August 2019 Lula's predecessor Jair Bolsonaro abolished the fund's governing board and action plan, and since then the fund has been frozen. However, as per Reuters it still holds 3.4 billion reais ($620 million).

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Lula was the one who introduced the fund in 2008, opening the floodgates for international contributions towards aiding Brazil's own efforts to stop deforestation in the Amazon.

Upon taking over the Presidential office one of the initial decrees passed by Lula was the reinstatement of the Amazon Fund's governing board. As per Barth Eide the re-establishment of the fund "is globally significant,"  as it "gives the international community a great opportunity to contribute." As per reports Britain is also considering contributing to the fund.

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Lula has also passed decrees re-establishing the nation's strategies to reduce deforestation of the forest, and others revoking previous government policies that diluted environmental protection like the one that encouraged mining on protected indigenous lands. Under Bolsonaro deforestation in the Amazon had surged to a 15-year high.

(With inputs from agencies)

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