News Americas, New York, NY, November 19, 2024: President Joe Biden made history Sunday as the first sitting US president to visit the Amazon, highlighting the devastating impact of climate change on the world’s largest rainforest. The visit underscores Biden’s commitment to protecting the environment, even as the incoming Trump administration signals a reversal of US climate policies.
During his tour, Biden flew over drought-stricken regions of the Amazon and witnessed rainforests ravaged by fire, underscoring the terrible toll climate change has taken on the critical ecosystem. The Amazon, which covers an area roughly the size of Australia, is a vital carbon sink for the planet but faces accelerating deforestation and severe drought conditions.
Biden’s visit included a helicopter tour over a tributary of the Negro River, where stranded ships and eroded landscapes offered stark evidence of the Amazon’s challenges. Along with Nobel Prize-winning scientist Carlos Nobre, Biden looked at damaged areas and thriving wildlife refuges.
The president also engaged with indigenous leaders and attended a ceremonial reception led by three indigenous women. At this event, he introduced his daughter and granddaughter and emphasized his administration’s commitment to rainforest conservation.
“I am proud to be the first sitting president to visit the Amazon,” Biden declared, as he signed a proclamation designating November 17 as International Conservation Day.
New US Commitments to Amazon
The Biden administration recently pledged $500 million to the Amazon Fund, an international rainforest conservation initiative funded primarily by Norway. While $50 million has already been handed over, the White House announced an additional $50 million contribution on Sunday.
Further, Biden’s team unveiled new initiatives, including a $37.5 million loan for reforestation projects in Brazil and a coalition that aims to attract $10 billion in investments for sustainable land restoration and environmentally friendly development by 2030.
“We are committed to preserving the Amazon’s role in combating climate change,” Biden said, noting that international US climate funding has increased sixfold during his presidency, reaching $11 billion in 2024.
A forest under threat
The Amazon, home to indigenous communities and 10% of Earth’s biodiversity, plays a crucial role in regulating South American moisture and global climate patterns. However, environmental degradation continues at an alarming rate.
Historic droughts have scorched rivers, disrupted fishing communities and fueled wildfires that have ravaged an area larger than Switzerland. Under the leadership of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, forest loss fell by more than 30% last year, reaching the lowest level in nearly a decade. However, critics have raised concerns about Lula’s support for infrastructure projects that could threaten the delicate balance of rainforests.
As Biden wrapped up his tour of the Amazon, he reflected on the region’s global importance. “Protecting the Amazon is not just a regional challenge — it’s a global imperative,” he said.
Biden’s visit is part of a six-day tour of South America that includes stops at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru, and the Group of 20 leaders’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which ends today.
With the future of US climate policy uncertain, Biden’s trip to the Amazon is a powerful reminder of the need for international cooperation to protect one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems.
