United Nations Environmental Programme

          The goal of this committee is to reach real and feasible solutions on how to protect the most important rainforest on the planet, in the context of the rising temperatures due to climate change and the conflicting politics of the area. 

          The Amazon’s deforestation rate has increased exponentially since 2015 due to the agriculture and the farmers in the area, yet the Brazilian Government’s policies supporting this action is what is harming the forest the most. The current administration under Jair Bolsonaro has only aggravated the problem, since the president will not stop at nothing to successfully develop the agricultural industry. Since 2002, Brazil’s government has established various protected areas covering approximately 43% of the Amazon, and set laws and monitoring systems for soybean farmers. Throughout the years, these laws have deteriorated because many people choose to take advantage of the natural resources available and use them to economically develop a poor region. Bolsonaro’s policies pose a great threat to the region, as is evidenced by the recent wildfires that have caught the attention of the international community. As a result of the recent August 2019 fires and given the vital significance, like the direct impact it has on the world’s biodiversity and its relationship to climate change, it is of utmost importance that the countries of the world find a way to ensure the Amazon Rainforest’s safety.  

         Some of the topics that will be discussed in this committee are the human rights of indeginous people living in the amazon, the recent rise in forest fires (including August 2019), the overall global importance of the Amazon and current South American politics that affect the management of the rainforest.