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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Eighth Annual Session
Forum: Environment Commission
Issue: Slowing the pace of deforestation and the loss of biodiversity in the Amazon Basin
Student Officer: Karthik Immaneni
Position: Deputy Chair
Introduction
Deforestation has become a major problem over the past few decades as industrialization and
development worldwide encroached more and more into green areas. In particular, rainforests are
experiencing biodiversity loss faster than other habitat type. The primary cause of rainforest loss is
deforestation for timber, cattle grazing, and farming. Over 200,000 square miles of the Amazon Rainforest
have already been lost already, with 7-10,000 square miles being destroyed each year. Most of the loss is
in the “arc of deforestation” along the southern and eastern edges.
The destruction of the Amazon Rainforest has many consequences on the environment. It acts as
a carbon sink, soaking up atmospheric carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming. It is estimated
that deforestation directly causes 15% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Furthermore, rain forests
are natural homes to biodiversity, and many species are being driven to extinction due to the loss of living
space.
Biodiversity loss and climatic impacts are major concerns, and the vastness of the remaining
forests means that the potential impacts of continued clearing are far more serious than the severe
impacts already known. In order to address the ongoing problems of climate change and biodiversity
concerns, it is crucial that we preserve the Amazon Rainforest and prevent its destruction.
Definition of Key Terms
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Carbon Sink
An area that consumes carbon dioxide, primarily through photosynthesis by plants.
United States Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
An international Environment Treaty adopted in Rio de Janeiro on 14 June 1992
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Eighth Annual Session
History
Deforestation in Brazil
The deforestation in the Amazon began in the early 1970s. Over the past decade, the UNFCCC
has played a major role in reducing greenhouse gases. Researchers studying plants, ants, birds, dung
beetles and orchid bees in the Brazilian Amazon have found clear evidence that deforestation causes
drastic loss of tropical forest biodiversity. In an issue of the Ecology Letters, researchers highlighted how
remaining areas of undisturbed and recovering forest provided the last refuge for many species unable to
withstand the impact of human activity.
As one of the most comprehensive surveys of the impacts of disturbance on tropical forest
biodiversity ever conducted, the international team, including Lancaster University, conducted a detailed
analysis of nearly 2,000 species of plants, birds, beetles, ants and bees that were found across more than
300 diverse sites in the Brazilian Amazon. They found the biodiversity in cleared forests to be
impoverished and depleted, and verified that remaining species invariably consisted of the same subset of
the original flora and fauna.
Key Issues
Forest fires
Fires are a natural and beneficial element of many forest landscapes, but prove problematic when
out of control or of serious magnitude. Each year, millions of acres of forest around the world are
destroyed or degraded by fire. A similar amount is lost to logging and agriculture combined.
Increase in carbon emissions
Over the past decade, Brazil has lowered its carbon dioxide output more than any other country
through a historic effort to slow forest loss. The rate of deforestation in Brazil last year was roughly 75%
below the average for 1996 to 2005 — just shy of Brazil's pledge to achieve an 80% reduction by 2020.
The country has achieved this feat while increasing food production, mostly for export.
Fuel wood harvesting
Despite the advent of fossil fuel and electricity, wood is still a popular fuel of choice for cooking and
heating around the world. In fact, fuel wood harvesting is widely recognized as the single most prevalent
cause of deforestation, accounting for half of the illegal removal of timber from forests worldwide.
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Eighth Annual Session
Loss of wildlife
Deforestation has caused or contributed to the extinction of millions of known and unknown
species. Researchers are finding irrefutable evidence that biodiversity is declining across the tropics.
Deforestation: A New Threat to Global Food Security
Major Parties Involved and Their Views
Brazil
Combating deforestation in Brazil is a priority for the government and international organizations.
Monitoring and repression is currently the principal strategy. Effective inspection and the levying of fines
for those lacking permits from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment (IBAMA), however, must be
accompanied by an understanding of the social, economic, and political aspects necessary to address the
problem through changes in policy.
Peru
Deforestation in Peru is largely due to small-scale agriculture, commercial mining, and related road
construction; forest degradation is caused primarily by illegal logging. Roughly 1,100 square miles of
Peru's forests are cut down every year—around 80% of it done illegally.
Timeline of Relevant Resolutions, Treaties and Events
Date
Description of Events
May 9, 1992
Adoption of Climate Change Convention
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Eighth Annual Session
June 5, 1994
Adoption of Convention on Biological Diversity
June 17, 1994
Adoption of Desertification Convention
December 11, 1997
Adoption of Kyoto Protocol
December 12, 2015
Drafting of Paris Agreement
Evaluation of Previous Attempts to Resolve the Issue
Brazil's experience and achievements in reducing deforestation suggests that humanity is fully
capable of controlling agricultural expansion and preserving our planet's most diverse ecosystems. If other
countries in South America follow suit by protecting and expanding rain forests, they could slow down the
growth of global CO2 emissions and buy the world some time to solve the thornier problem of curbing
emissions from cars, power plants and industrial facilities.
Possible Solutions
Creating protected areas
Securing forest ecosystems (e.g. national parks) can help preserve their valuable plants and
animals for future generations. Protected areas have proved key to the preservation of some species,
such as the mountain gorillas that live in the forests of the Virunga Mountains in East Africa. In addition to
protecting biodiversity, the Amazon Region Protected Areas program has demonstrated that a system of
well-managed and sustainably-financed protected areas can significantly contribute to prevention of
deforestation. WWF has worked to create and continue support for protected areas in more than 100
countries around the world.
Promoting use of sustainable bioenergy
Humans have used wood as fuel for thousands of years, and 2.6 billion people today still use
biomass—mainly wood and charcoal—for cooking. WWF works to promote bioenergy from scrap wood,
oil and fats, sugar and starch crops, residues and wastes, and even algae to reduce reliance on forests
and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. WWF’s vision is that by 2050, 100% of the world’s energy will
come from sustainable, renewable sources, including bioenergy.
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Eighth Annual Session
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