BRASILIA (AFP)
the 28-07-2004
The Amazon rainforest can turn into a savanna area within 50 to 100 years due to global warming and fires destroying the forest area in Brazil, a Brazilian scientist warned on Tuesday.
"Almost all the scenarios point to a 'savanization' (of the Amazon) within 50 to 100 years," said Carlos Nobre, researcher at the National Institute of Space Investigations (INPE), during the Third Conference of the “Large-scale project on the biosphere and atmosphere of the Amazon” which opened on Tuesday in Brasilia.
“In the worst case, the forest loses around 60% of its surface; at best, everything continues as it is now; in the case of an intermediate scenario, 20% of its surface disappears ”, he indicated.
"Even without deforestation, global warming could cause 20% to 30%" savanization "of the Amazon, Nobre said.
According to Brazilian official sources, 70 years 2002 end, fires destroyed more than 630.000 2 million km3,68 of km2 account that the Amazon forest in the country (70% of the Amazon forest).
The INPE researcher considers that deforestation, caused by the advance of soybean cultivation and livestock breeding, is already having a climatic impact, both locally and in more remote areas, since it causes "a decrease rains and a greater warming of the climate ”.
Nobre believes that this process can be reversed through the creation of a large body to coordinate efforts in favor of the Amazon. This implies a reorientation of resources, since currently "only 3% of research income goes to the Amazon," Nobre said.