VZCZCXRO0299
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBR #0750/01 1551943
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031943Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1786
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2139
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6202
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8083
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000750 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/PCI - N. FITE AND L.SPERLING 
DEPT FOR OES/ENCR - S.CASWELL AND C.KARR-COLQUE 
DEPT FOR WHA/BSC - B.CHIANG AND D. SCHNIER 
STATE FOR USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGHG EAGR ECON BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL LAUNCHES ANOTHER PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE AMAZON 
 
REF:  A) BRASILIA 681, B) BRASILIA 229, 
 
C) BRASILIA 224 D) Brasilia 124 
 
BRASILIA 00000750  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR 
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  On May 8, 2008, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio 
Lula da Silva unveiled a package of 16 measures called the Plan for 
a Sustainable Amazon (PAS).  The plan is long on good intentions and 
hints of funding (possibly up to Real 1.0 billion or about US$ 600 
million over the next several years), but short on details and 
specific budget resources.  Complicating matters, President Lula 
named Minister for Long-Term Planning Roberto Mangabeira Unger, to 
take over from the Environment Minister as the coordinator of the 
PAS program.  This rebuff likely contributed to the departure of 
Environment Minister Marina Silva (REFTEL A).  Subsequently, new 
Environment Minister Carlos Minc announced his own ideas for the 
Amazon:  setting a goal of "zero deforestation" rate; creating an 
environmental national guard; and significantly increasing penalties 
for environmental crimes.  Pressure on Brazil to take stronger 
action against deforestation will probably increase, as Minc 
recently warned, as a result of the predicted rise in the 
deforestation rate this year.  Lula, Minc and Mangabeira Unger are 
faced with the challenge of converting good intentions into results. 
 They face the daunting task of protecting the Amazon and at the 
same time building infrastructure and promoting economic development 
in this sensitive region.  END SUMMARY 
 
PAS - SUSTAINABLE AMAZON PLAN 
 
¶3.  (SBU) After five years of preparation and consultations with 
state and local officials, the Plan for a Sustainable Amazon (PAS) 
was unveiled on May 8.  President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched 
the PAS together with Long-Term Planning Minister Mangabeira Unger, 
erstwhile Environment Minister Marina Silva, other senior officials, 
governors, and representatives of civil society, private sector and 
academia. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) PAS consists of 16 measures and seeks to construct a new, 
sustainable development model for the 26 million residents in the 
Amazon region.  In fact, however, the measures are broad goals and 
the details on how they are to be implemented have yet to be 
announced.  Several of the measures deal with increasing the 
dialogue and coordination among the various levels of governments 
and civil society, as well as across borders through Mercosul and 
the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.  One calls for reducing 
deforestation and conserving biodiversity; and another measure 
promotes reforestation of degraded lands.  A key measure requires 
land title registration and zoning.  A couple of measures provide 
for improving highways and river transport, expansion of ports and 
rural electrification.  A critical measure calls for low-cost loans 
to farmers and ranchers for sustainable agriculture.  (COMMENT.  It 
is unclear how these loans will differ from those already being 
provided to the agriculture sector in the region through a variety 
of mechanisms, such as the Bank of the Amazon.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) PAS does not include any specific commitments of funding. 
At the rollout, however, then Environment Minister Silva announced 
that the PAS would receive Real