Lula said Brazil also needs to maximize the profits of those who benefit from the preservation of the forest. | Photo: EFE

Brasilia, April 10 (RHC)-- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched on Tuesday the program Union with Municipalities for the Reduction of Deforestation and Forest Fires in the Amazon, with an investment of $145.7 million to promote sustainable development in 70 priority municipalities in this Brazilian region.

The funds will come from the Amazon Fund and the Floresta+ program, an initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to create, promote and consolidate the environmental services market. Lula affirmed that the investments will help the country reach the goal of zero deforestation by 2030.

There is even a billionaire trying to make a breakthrough", said President Lula today at the launching ceremony of the program "Union with the Municipalities for the Reduction of Forest Deforestation and Forest Fires in the Amazon".

According to data from the Presidency, the municipalities participating in the initiative are responsible for about 78 percent of the biome's deforestation in 2022, so the program plans to support 70 priority municipalities to prevent, monitor, control and reduce degradation. Of these 53 have already joined, the remaining 17 can still join until April 30.

"We need to take care of the largest forest reserve in the world, which is under our care, and try to make the care of the forest reserve a way to improve not only the quality of the municipality and the people, but also to improve the financial conditions of the city," said the president.

The logic adopted for the allocation of resources to municipalities will be that of payment by results; therefore, the greater the annual reduction in deforestation and degradation, the greater the amount invested. Lula pointed out that Brazil also needs to maximize the profits of those who benefit from forest preservation.

"We have to make people realize that keeping the forest standing is an economic benefit, sometimes much greater than a herd of cattle. It's not that you don't need to raise cattle. But you can raise cattle in a place where you don't need to cut down the forest," the president added.