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Seven South American countries agree pact to protect Amazon rainforest

Seven South American countries have agreed measures to protect the Amazon river basin. The agreem...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

11.29 7 Sep 2019


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Seven South American countries...

Seven South American countries agree pact to protect Amazon rainforest

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

11.29 7 Sep 2019


Share this article


Seven South American countries have agreed measures to protect the Amazon river basin.

The agreement will help set up a disaster response network, as well as organise satellite monitoring.

Recent forest fires have destroyed large parts of the world's largest tropical rainforest.

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Representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname gathered in Leticia, Colombia to sign the pact.

It calls for the countries involve to encourage the "international community to cooperate for the conservation and sustainable development of the Amazon region".

In a statement, Colombian President Ivan Duque said the pact will "oblige us, commit us and motivate us to protect our Amazon".

He suggested: "We believe that it is a moral duty that our societies are increasingly aware of the protection of our common home, of our mother earth, of protecting this heritage.

"[We need to understand] that a harmony of sustainable development with nature should be sought."

He stressed that it's also important to work with and protect indigenous communities in the region.

On the pact itself, he added: "I believe that today we are making history."

The agreement comes after Brazil faced widespread international criticism and pressure over its handling of major forest fires last month.

Conservationists claimed that President Jair Bolsonaro's moves to weaken environmental safeguards encouraged farmers and industry to significantly increase deforestation and set fires more aggressively.

Amid the outrcry, Brazil ultimately banned burning throughout the country for the dry season - with exceptions only when authorised by the country's environmental agency.

Main images: Presidents of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and delegates from Brazil, Guyana and Surinam at the Amazon summit in Colombia. Image: Government of Colombia

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