Amazon Region Protected Areas, largest rainforest conservation initiative

"The vast Amazon rain forest helps stabilize the local and global climate, harbors at least 10% of the world’s known species, and provides a home for more than 40 million people. To permanently protect 150 million acres of the Brazilian Amazon, Brazil established the Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) program in 2002. Created in partnership with WWF and others, the program is the world’s largest initiative for the conservation of tropical forests . . . Two decades after its creation, ARPA continues to play an essential role in the conservation of this invaluable rain forest, preserving biodiversity, reducing deforestation, and supporting local livelihoods." In its first eight years, "ARPA created 57 million acres of protected areas . . . and went on to support the improved management of millions more. ARPA-protected areas now total 154 million acres, nearly 1.5 times the size of California, exceeding the program’s initial goal." ARPA's endeavors have not solely safeguarded some of the planet's most vulnerable species, but have also played a significant role in curbing carbon emissions. "Reducing deforestation in the Amazon rain forest, an important carbon reservoir, is essential for mitigating climate change. Between 2008 and 2020, the protected areas supported by ARPA reduced deforestation by approximately 650,000 acres. This corresponds to an estimated 104 million tons of avoided CO2 emissions—equivalent to the total emissions by American domestic aviation in 2020, or about 17% of emissions by the global domestic aviation sector." The ARPA includes the Central Amazon Conservation Complex, the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin.