{"id":157192,"date":"2020-04-06T12:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T11:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=157192"},"modified":"2020-03-30T06:39:15","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T05:39:15","slug":"brazil-scales-back-environmental-enforcement-amid-coronavirus-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2020\/04\/brazil-scales-back-environmental-enforcement-amid-coronavirus-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazil Scales Back Environmental Enforcement amid Coronavirus Outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content__headline-standfirst-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"tonal__standfirst u-cf\">\n<div class=\"content__standfirst\" data-link-name=\"standfirst\" data-component=\"standfirst\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Experts fear efforts to protect field agents from virus could lead to surge in deforestation.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/series\/coronavirus-live\/latest\" class=\"u-underline\"  data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Coronavirus \u2013 latest updates<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/coronavirus-outbreak\" class=\"u-underline\"  data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">See all our coronavirus coverage<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__meta-container js-content-meta u-cf\n    \"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"img-1\" class=\"media-primary media-content ()  \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\">\n<div class=\"u-responsive-ratio\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=dd5a83eb375420d497d1fd2ee607f233 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=4b5a2962deda3a96de7f4fc77119a379 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=700&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=d0a5e8fdbc74ac0dc2764a3153a0642e 1400w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"700px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=700&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=2eb9d4868ed8530e92e69ba0c5930f30 700w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px)\" sizes=\"700px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=dd5a83eb375420d497d1fd2ee607f233 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=4b5a2962deda3a96de7f4fc77119a379 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=645&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=132aa522a38231eb34acc2919a07d59f 1290w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"645px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=645&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=a6289514104b31f825eafaf3f6895c36 645w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" sizes=\"645px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=7977339cc50e5d013c31a7df2f948404 930w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 0px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"465px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=660b9913a361fa99f1731af41a1a8eef 465w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" sizes=\"465px\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"maxed responsive-img aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\/0_233_3500_2100\/master\/3500.jpg?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=5ad5b4be73ac983298c166f0f6f5a4da\" alt=\"Deforested Amazon\" \/> <\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<header class=\"content__head content__head--article tonal__head tonal__head--tone-news\">\n<figure id=\"img-1\" class=\"media-primary media-content ()  \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"7b21536d9df3033259e8c42640b1ec5a594ee8db\"><figcaption class=\"caption caption--main caption--img\"><strong>An aerial view of a deforested plot in the Amazon, near Porto Velho in Rond\u00f4nia state, Brazil. Photograph: Ueslei Marcelino\/Reuters<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"content__article-body from-content-api js-article__body\" data-test-id=\"article-review-body\">\n<p><time class=\"content__dateline-wpd js-wpd content__dateline-wpd--modified\" datetime=\"2020-03-27T17:37:10+0000\" data-timestamp=\"1585330630000\"><em>27 Mar 2020<\/em><\/time><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/brazil\" class=\"u-underline\"  data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\"><time class=\"content__dateline-wpd js-wpd content__dateline-wpd--modified\" datetime=\"2020-03-27T17:37:10+0000\" data-timestamp=\"1585330630000\"><span class=\"content__dateline-time\">&#8211; <\/span><\/time>Brazil<\/a> will reduce efforts to fight environmental crimes during the coronavirus outbreak, despite concerns that reduced protection could lead to a surge in deforestation.<\/p>\n<p>The director of environmental protection at Ibama environmental agency said the outbreak had left little choice but to send fewer enforcement personnel into the field.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-1 | 1\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-feature--item rich-link--pillar-news\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__container\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__image-container u-responsive-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7b075e9344fe8cf8a864eaff717a6400a5aa056c\/0_363_6000_3600\/master\/6000.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=fa48cfae7b49bf384e732dab64a5fcf9\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__header\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"rich-link__title\"><em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2019\/oct\/02\/war-for-survival-brazils-amazon-tribes-despair-as-land-raids-surge-under-bolsonaro\" class=\"rich-link__link\" ><strong> More: &#8216;War for survival&#8217;: Brazil\u2019s Amazon tribes despair as land raids surge under Bolsonaro<\/strong> <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>Olivaldi Azevedo estimated that one-third of Ibama\u2019s field operatives were close to 60 years old or had medical conditions that put them at greater risk for severe symptoms of the virus.<\/p>\n<p>Ibama has not hired agents in years because of government budget cuts. \u201cThere\u2019s no way you can take these people who are at risk and expose them to the virus,\u201d Azevedo said. \u201cThere is no choice between one thing and the other. It\u2019s an obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two sources at Ibama, who were not authorised to speak to the media, said rank-and-file field agents were worried about their health and the risk they could spread coronavirus to the rural regions where they operate.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/deforestation\" class=\"u-underline\"  data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Deforestation<\/a> experts said while health concerns must be a priority, the policy could have grave environmental consequences. \u201cWeakening enforcement definitely means a greater risk of deforestation for obvious reasons,\u201d said the environmental economist Sergio Margulis, the author of a paper on the causes of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.<\/p>\n<p>The Amazon has seen <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2019\/nov\/18\/amazon-deforestation-at-highest-level-in-a-decade\" class=\"u-underline\"  data-link-name=\"in body link\">soaring deforestation<\/a> and an increase in fires in since Brazil\u2019s rightwing president, Jair Bolsonaro, took office in January 2019, triggering global outcry that he was emboldening illegal loggers, ranchers and land speculators.<\/p>\n<p>Brazil is home to roughly 60% of the Amazon, the world\u2019s largest tropical rainforest, which absorbs vast amounts of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.<\/p>\n<p>Bolsonaro has defended development plans for the region by arguing that they are the best way to lift more Brazilians out of poverty. But the surge in deforestation threatens to derail a South American free-trade deal with Europe and hurt exports.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_157193\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/amazon-forest.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-157193\" class=\"wp-image-157193\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/amazon-forest-1024x643.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/amazon-forest-1024x643.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/amazon-forest-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/amazon-forest-768x482.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/amazon-forest.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-157193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view shows a deforested plot of the Amazon. (Reuters Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In a decree last week, Bolsonaro defined environmental enforcement as an essential service during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing Ibama to keep sending agents into the field.<\/p>\n<p>But Azevedo said even essential services, such as healthcare and police, must be reduced to protect at-risk workers.<\/p>\n<p>Bolsonaro\u2019s press office directed questions to the environment ministry. The ministry, which oversees Ibama, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/mar\/27\/brazil-scales-back-environmental-enforcement-coronavirus-outbreak-deforestation\" >Go to Original &#8211; theguardian.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>27 Mar 2020- Brazil will reduce efforts to fight environmental crimes during the coronavirus outbreak, despite concerns that reduced protection could lead to a surge in deforestation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":157193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[536,1176,547,239,1690,686,550,794,401,1393,993,866,541,846,1200,1255,329,92],"class_list":["post-157192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","tag-amazonia","tag-bolsonaro","tag-brazil","tag-brics","tag-cattle-and-ranch-farmers","tag-climate-change","tag-corruption","tag-deforestation","tag-environment","tag-forest-fires","tag-global-warming","tag-indigenous-rights","tag-latin-america-caribbean","tag-meat-industry","tag-natures-rights","tag-rain-forests","tag-resources","tag-violent-conflict"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}