In assessing the current status of this important process to return its biodiversity to that territory, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, Inger Andersen, highlighted that it is an action in which local communities participate in advocacy of the benefits of healthy landscapes.
The Atlantic Forest covered a vast expanse of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, but unfortunately five centuries of logging, agricultural expansion and the unstoppable growth of cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have reduced it to fragments, he said.
Data provided by Pnuma indicate that these three countries have the same goal: to restore 15 million hectares of such an important South American ecoregion by 2050.
The Atlantic Forest of South America is home to 148 million people, it is also one of the richest areas on the planet in terms of biodiversity and is home to emblematic species such as the jaguar, toucan and sloth.
Seven percent of the plants and five percent of the animals on Earth are found there, many of these endemic species, a unique feature of this region.
It is also one of the most threatened areas in the world, and currently only 12 percent of the original forest remains intact in separate fragments from each other, due to the incidence of human presence, even though around 700,000 hectares of land have already been restored .
Under the Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact, 360 organizations have worked for more than three decades to preserve and restore what’s left of this forest expanse, which protects endangered species like the jaguar and golden lion tamarin.
They also ensure water supplies for people and nature, counter the impacts of climate change, build resilience and create thousands of jobs.
The United Nations has recognized the Atlantic Forest Trinational Compact as one of its top 10 flagship initiatives for global restoration.
Approaches to restoring that area are as diverse as its ecosystems and communities with initiatives centered around scientific research, partnership building, fundraising, government policy, reforestation and agroforestry.
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