Public Policies to Control Deforestation in the Legal Amazon

This technical report estimates the impact of Protected Areas, specifically Indigenous Lands and Conservation Units, on reducing deforestation in the nine states of the Brazilian Legal Amazon from 2022 to 2030. Utilizing an econometric model and simulations, the study finds that the presence of these protected areas prevents an estimated deforestation of 4.3 million hectares, thereby avoiding the emission of 2.1 GtCO2e. In the absence of these areas, projected deforestation would increase by 35%, leading to a 45% rise in CO2e emissions compared to baseline predictions. The report also highlights the potential benefits of designating 63.4 million hectares of undesignated public forests as conservation units or indigenous lands, which could further reduce deforestation by 1.5 to 2.5 million hectares and emissions by 0.75 to 1.2 GtCO2e by 2030. This represents a significant reduction in both deforestation and emissions, emphasizing the critical role of protected areas in environmental conservation.