A Look at Amazon Basin Seasonal Dynamics with the Biophysical ...

ABSTRACTWHO ARE THE AGENTS OF DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON, AND WHY DOTHEY DEFOREST? Sergio Margulis, Banco Mundial, Ed. Corporate Financial Center - Sala603, Brasilia-DF 70712-900. e-mail: Smargulis@worldbank.orgSeveral institutions have been studying the causes and dynamics of deforestation inthe Amazon. Since the start of this study in July 2000, the World Bank has discussed withthe Amazon Coordination Secretariat of the Ministry of the Environment – SCA/MMA –the possibility of doing a joint undertaking given the interest shown by both institutions. Inaddition to the World Bank and SCA/MMA, the AMA Project of PPG7 (Support toProgram Monitoring and Appraisal) also identified the need to undertake a study that wouldreview the causes and dynamics of deforestation in the Amazon as part of its study andevaluation component, and decided this could be done in partnership.With the support from SCA/MMA and from IMAZON, we identified key regionsand agents to undertake a rapid resource assessment (RRA). Due to time and resourceconstraints, the RRA was carried out during the 7-18 May 2001 period in the States ofMato Grosso and Pará. It did not allow for inferring extensively on the deforestationprocess in the Amazon; on the other hand, it allowed for far more than just reviewing andreorienting hypotheses and theses related to these processes, including those related tocattle ranching economics, to land use conversion processes (from forest to ranching), tothe roles of loggers’ and that (secondary) of agriculture, as well as the intensification offarming and ranching, in addition to the extent of land speculation.