More than 50% of the Amazon Forest is undergoing a major change, a fact that bring us closer to a point of no return causing the “savannization” of this forest. How does that relate and affect the rest of the world? What are the synergistic interactions between climate change deforestation, forest degradation and the increasing vulnerability of the rainforest due to fire? If we are to address the risk of reducing the rainforest and its biodiversity, it will require new thinking and an immediate halt of deforestation, degradation, and fires in the southern part of the Amazon Forest— which are the areas closest to the no return point, already with longer dry seasons, tree species changes and a source of carbon emission — to reach zero deforestation and forest degradation in the entire Amazon before 2030. Furthermore, to avoid the risk of the point of no return, it is necessary to restore the forest in large extensions, mainly in the south region.
It is equally urgent to create and implement a new bioeconomy based on the standing forest and flowing rivers, where the added value of the potential richness of forest products and the immense Amazonian biodiversity is considered. This new approach needs to combine science based on nature, technological innovations and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities. This is at the core of the Amazônia 4.0 project, which seeks to demonstrate the viability of this new bioeconomy through the bioindustrialization of forest products in rural and urban communities in the Amazon.
This masterclass will address the following questions:
- What is at stake in the Amazon Forest?
- How is that linked with the well-being of life on the planet?
- What is the new bioeconomy of the standing forest? And how can this be replicated in different parts of the world?
- What is the Amazon 4.0 Project?
Carlos Nobre
Read more
Close description
Graduated in Electronic Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica and PhD in Meteorology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Researcher at the Brazilian National Institute for Research in the Amazon – INPA (1975-1981) and at the National Institute for Space Research – INPE (1983-2012). Carlos held scientific management and scientific policy coordination functions as President of CAPES; Director of the National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts – CEMADEN; Secretary of Research Policies and Programs of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation; Head of the Earth System Science Center (CCST-INPE) and General Coordinator of the Center for Weather Forecast and Climate Studies (CPTEC-INPE). He has participated in several Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. In particular, he was one of the authors of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (2007). He is co-chairman of the Scientific Panel for the Amazon (www.theamazonwewant.org) and director general of the Amazônia 4.0 Project (https://amazonia4.org/). He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Science, the World Academy of Sciences and a foreign member of the US National Academy of Sciences.
What is a Masterclass?
An Earth Charter Masterclass is a two-hour class facilitated by a person (together with a moderator) on a topic of their experience and interest, with a space for questions and interaction between the participants. It offers an opportunity to get some practical examples and new insights. There is no reading or preparation requirement to take part in the Masterclass, nor homework.
Our Masterclass series offers an opportunity to expand our understanding on the challenges of our time and how to address them using the Earth Charter as a reference. The Masterclass are held live on the Zoom platform. All recordings will be made available on a special platform (at a later moment and for a limited access).
Terms and conditions
If you cannot participate in the Masterclass that you have registered and paid for, we will not be able to issue a refund.
Access to the recordings of the Masterclasses will not be offered individually.