§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to assist the Brazilian Government in preventing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. [136663]
§ Hilary BennDFID is an active member of the G7 Pilot Programme for the Conservation of the Brazilian Rain Forests (a joint undertaking of the Brazilian Government, Brazil's civil society and the international community). DFID's currently is helping to
58Wstrengthen the capacity of the indigenous movement to protect themselves from illegal logging through land demarcation and support to pursue sustainable livelihoods;enhance the sustainable management of the Amazon Floodplains by local communicates and government;
enhance the Ministry of Environment's research on how to improve the economic and regulatory environment for sustainable forestry management;
design the transition of this Pilot Phase to a Programme that is more mainstreamed and rooted in Brazilian policies for the region.
The total contribution of DFID to the Pilot Programme for the Conservation of the Amazon Rain Forest is £16 million out of a total budget of US$410 million for the Pilot Programme.
DFID also supports other activities outside the G7 Programme including:
strengthening the ability of the Brazilian Agriculture Research Institute (EMBRAPA) to examine ways of improving sustainable forest management relevant to forest users and to improve the understanding by small farmers and disadvantaged groups of the benefits of sustainable forestry management; andgiving a greater emphasis to forestry management for small scale farmers in agricultural extension courses provided by the Federal Agricultural University of Para.Many of these programmes are scheduled to end in 2004–05. The future of those planned to continue into 2005–06 will have to be reviewed in the light of the reallocation of DFID resources within middle income countries for that year.