BRASILIA (Reuters) – Norway pledged its support on Wednesday for Brazil’s efforts to attract additional donor countries for the Amazon Fund that it helped to set up to fight deforestation and spur sustainable development.
The fund, launched in 2009, was frozen in 2019 by former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro who abolished its governing board and action plans, as he advocated the development of natural resources in the Amazon rainforest.
It was re-activated by the government of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on day one of his latest term in office in January. He previously served from 2003-10.
“We very much like the model that was developed during the former presidency of Lula and we want to continue to work closely on that path,” Norwegian Minister of Climate and the Environment Espen Barth Eide told reporters after meeting his Brazilian counterpart Marina Silva.
“We are trying to mobilize other donors to come in because we think it has been a very successful model.”
The Amazon Fund was set up with an initial donation of $1 billion from Norway. Germany contributed $300 million.
Silva said the fund’s resources, currently totaling $500 million, has been used for priority tasks in the Amazon, including the expulsion of illegal gold miners from indigenous reservations and restoring the enforcement of environmental protection that had been relaxed by Bolsonaro’s government.
France and Spain have shown interest in contributing to the Brazilian-administered fund, Britain is studying whether to contribute and the United States signaled its intent to do so.
The Norwegian minister visited Colombia before arriving in Brasilia and will on Thursday head to the Amazon state of Para for talks with local people and officials, the Norwegian Embassy in Brasilia said.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Barbara Lewis)
