US initiative targets environmental crimes in Amazonia

Significance

The initiative aims to support efforts to disrupt so-called nature crimes, such as those causing devastation in the Amazon rainforest. It calls for global efforts to curb environmental destruction at a time of rising concerns about the widespread impacts of fires and smoke over different biomes in Brazil.

Impacts

• The exclusion of some countries is likely to undermine the initiative’s effectiveness.
• Lack of coordination and cooperation among the countries involved may remain an obstacle to curbing nature crimes.
• The recent combination of drought and fires, many of them set deliberately, is likely to become more frequent.