The Amazon Rainforest is the world's largest tropical rainforest and is known for its biodiversity. It covers most of northwestern Brazil and according to a Reuters report, deforestation in the South American country's Amazon has surged 55% in the first four months of 2020, as compared to the same time period in 2019.?
In order to combat this problem, Brazil has put together a team consisting of armed forces, environmental officials, police and other government agencies to begin an operation in a national forest in Rondonia state, near the Bolivian border.?
The destruction is the highest in 11 years and the country has received a lot of backlash for not doing enough to protect the world's largest rainforest.
Vice President?Hamilton Mour?o said,?¡°We don¡¯t want to be labeled by the rest of the world as an environmental villain."
Rectifying his mistakes, President Jair Bolsonaro gave a green signal to the force to begin their operation by sending in troops three months earlier than in 2019.?
Defense Minister, Fernando Azevedo, added that the armed forces are all set to establish bases in three Amazon cities. 3,800 troops will be mobilised against illegal logging and other crimes and the operation will cost around $10 million (70 crore).?
Azevedo further informed that each base will be assigned five chemical warfare specialists who will ensure that no one gets infected with the novel Coronavirus during the operation.?
Currently, the military will be deployed for 30 days till June 10 and the operation might see an extension during the dry season, which is when forest fires usually take place. The military will also help out in fire prevention.
VP Mour?o said, ¡°We have no doubt this problem will continue to exist. We don¡¯t consider this the best job for the armed forces, to be always engaged in this type of action, but unfortunately it¡¯s the means we have to limit these crimes from happening.¡±
The Vice President also added that the armed forces will continue to work until and unless the environmental agencies hire more staff. The agencies are currently facing an economic slowdown and that is preventing them from hiring more agents.?
Environment Minister, Ricardo Salles, said that the coronavirus outbreak had ¡°aggravated¡± the situation.
Salles also said that he was confident that the government's operation under Mourao's guidance will be successful and deforestation will decrease.??