Brazil's Election Hangs in Balance as Amazon Conservation Gains Threatened
A closely contested presidential election in Brazil has environmentalists on edge as they fear that a victory by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro could undo recent progress in reducing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
The current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has managed to drop deforestation rates to their lowest level in a decade, but experts warn that these gains are fragile and vulnerable to reversal if Flávio Bolsonaro's policies favoring agribusiness and mining come into play.
The election is shaping up to be a tight contest between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. A recent analysis by the Climate Observatory found that issues related to climate and the environment are receiving too little attention in the campaign, with the exception of Lula's plans, which include support for oil drilling on the Amazon shore.
The stakes are high not just for the Amazon, but also for neighboring countries. A conservative alliance led by Flávio Bolsonaro could forge a regional bloc prioritizing resource extraction over conservation, pushing the Amazon towards an irreversible tipping point.