Deforestation in southern Amazonas state could generate an accumulated loss of more than US$ 2.59 million over 30 years, according to a recent study published on Wednesday (12) by the Institute for Forest Management and Certification (Imaflora, in Portuguese). The estimate was based on the value of activities that do not degrade the forest, such as extractivism, sustainable timber management and carbon credit projects.
For the research, the institute considered undesignated public lands—areas not protected by the Brazilian state or federal government, also called Undesignated Public Forests (FPND, in Portuguese)—in the southern region of Amazonas, surrounding the BR 319 highway, which connects Manaus (Amazonas capital) to Porto Velho (Rondônia capital).
“The sustainable use of FPNDs is much more efficient than, for instance, converting them to pasture,” says Pedro Gasparinetti, one of the authors of the study.
According to the research, one hectare of forest conserves 324 tons of carbon, “which could attract billions in investments from carbon markets,” the study points out. “In comparison, extensive livestock farming, which is one of the main deforestation drivers in the region, generates only between US$ 86.5 and US$ 129.7 per hectare per year, which is much less than what standing forests can provide,” says Marco Lentini, co-author of the analysis.
In 2024, President Lula (Workers’ Party) signed a law regulating the carbon credit market in Brazil. However, many of these bills are criticized for lack of transparency regarding the communities involved and even misuse of public land.
Over half of the territories show evidence of land grabbing
In the Legal Amazon, there are 63 million hectares of undesignated public lands, an area larger than the state of Minas Gerais. In the southern region of the state of Amazonas alone, the focus of Imaflora's study, these areas are the equivalent of 11 million hectares, larger than the state of Santa Catarina. Because they are legally unprotected, land grabbers target these lands.
In another study, Imaflora researchers indicate that more than 52% of federal public lands and 77% of state public lands in the region overlap with records in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR, in Portuguese). As the CAR is self-declaratory – that is, anyone can with the state registration systems – the existence of these overlaps indicates land grabbing.
According to Tayane Carvalho, a forestry analyst at Imaflora and one of the authors of the study, some of these registrations in public areas may be the result of flaws in the registration system. However, “in most cases, we can consider there is land grabbing,” she says.
In 2024, undesignated public lands in the Brazilian Amazon were the areas most affected by fires, as Brasil de Fato reported. Combined with deforestation, fire is one of the tools used in land grabbing practices, which consists of theft of public lands. Part of the study covers the Amazon portion of Amacro, an agricultural frontier between the states of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia. The area is marked by violence linked to land disputes, including threats and murders.
About the area researched
The area studied corresponds to the southern and central mesoregions of the state of Amazonas, totaling 55 million hectares. For the analysis, it was considered the intersection zone between the municipalities in the southern region of Amazonas, as well as the municipalities of Maués and Tapauá, focusing on the area of the BR 319 highway, spatially defined as 150 km on either side of the road.
Researchers and environmentalists have been criticizing the project to pave the BR 319 highway, which links Manaus (Amazonas capital) to Porto Velho (Rondônia capital) for having the potential to increase deforestation in the region.
The study covers all or part of 31 municipalities in Amazonas: Apuí, Boca do Acre, Canutama, Humaitá, Lábrea, Manicoré, Maués, Novo Aripuanã, Tapauá, Anori, Autazes, Beruri, Careiro, Careiro da Várzea, Iranduba, Manacapuru, Manaquiri, Manaus, Rio Preto da Eva, Anamã, Borba, Caapiranga, Coari, Codajás, Itacoatiara, Itapiranga, Nova Olinda do Norte, Novo Airão, Presidente Figueiredo, São Sebastião do Uatumã and Silves.
