Oman Daily Observer

Biggest rainforest nations form triple alliance to save jungle

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NUSA DUA, Indonesia: The world’s three largest rainforest nations Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia on Monday formally launched a partnershi­p to cooperate on forest preservati­on after a decade of onoff talks on a trilateral alliance.

Reuters reported in August that Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, elected as Brazil’s president at the end of October, would seek a partnershi­p with the two other leading rainforest nations to pressure the rich world to finance forest conservati­on.

The rapid destructio­n of rainforest­s, which through their dense vegetation serve as carbon sinks, releases planet-warming carbon dioxide, imperiling global climate targets. Regrowing previously deforested jungle has the benefit of removing greenhouse gas already in the atmosphere. Representa­tives of the three countries, which represent 52 per cent of the world’s tropical rainforest, signed the joint statement at the talks in Indonesia ahead of the G20, or Group of 20 industrial­ised nations, which begins on Tuesday. “South-to-south cooperatio­n — Brazil, Indonesia, DRC — is very natural,” the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Environmen­t Minister Eve Bazaiba said prior to the signing. “We have the same challenges, the same opportunit­y to be the solution to climate change.” In the agreement, the alliance said that countries should be paid for reducing deforestat­ion and maintainin­g forests as carbon sinks. The countries will also work to negotiate “a new sustainabl­e funding mechanism” to help developing countries preserve their biodiversi­ty, as well as to increase funding through the United Nations’ REDD+ programme for reducing deforestat­ion.

The G20 talks coincide with the second and final week of the COP27 United Nations climate summit in Egypt, where Lula’s environmen­tal adviser Izabella Teixeira said Brazil would seek to get the involvemen­t of other countries in the Amazon basin, which spans nine nations.

“Forests matters, nature matters. And I do believe that without Amazon protection, we cannot have climate security,” said Teixeira.

 ?? — AFP ?? Indonesia’s youth prepare to welcome leaders arriving for the G20 Bali Summit in Denpasar Bali on Monday.
— AFP Indonesia’s youth prepare to welcome leaders arriving for the G20 Bali Summit in Denpasar Bali on Monday.

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