Cooperation to save Tropical Forests

Negotiations for environmental protection are far from simple. The countries hosting the world's three major tropical forests have agreed to cooperate in limiting deforestation and protecting biodiversity, but they have not succeeded in forming a concrete alliance to protect these vital carbon reservoirs. The announcement was made on the last day of the "Three Basins Summit" hosted by the Republic of Congo, which brought together presidents, NGOs, technical experts, and financial sector officials to strengthen the management and conservation of the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and the forests of Southeast Asia. The participating countries have recognized the importance of cooperation and have agreed to develop ways to protect the forests through a seven-point plan. "We have realized that uniting our forces is an absolute necessity, and we have recognized that the initiative to unite the three basins is part of an inevitable dynamic," said Arlette Soudan Nonault, the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Congo. Urgent action is needed. The three major tropical forest basins host two-thirds of the Earth's biodiversity, but their rapid destruction releases carbon dioxide that heats the planet and endangers global climate goals. Deforestation increased by 4% worldwide in 2022, according to an October report, which shows that the world's countries have moved further away from the commitments made during the UN climate talks in 2021 to halt and reverse the trend of forest disappearance and degradation by 2030. Throughout the three days of the summit in Brazzaville, experts and political decision-makers from countries with tropical forests discussed common priorities ahead of next month's COP28 negotiations. They examined various funding mechanisms to help developing countries conserve these critical ecosystems. In parallel, the Republic of Congo has signed a roadmap for a forest partnership with the European Union, aiming to increase the area of protected, restored, or sustainably managed forests by 2030, create more jobs in the forestry sector, and reduce the forest destruction rate. Environmental organizations have stated that governments need to go even further beyond this agreemen