Warning signals have been given for many years about the irreversibility of rainforest destruction. Loggers remove the timber, but leave desolation behind them. Third world countries are desperate for cash and the short term advantages of authorising logging apparently outweigh all environmental considerations. The problem is that the local politicians appear to have no environmental awareness, and that the French Ministry of Agriculture, who are in charge of timber concessions, leaves all responsibility to the local politicians. It is said that, in these areas, spider monkeys, ibis, curassows and macaws have disappeared.
Hydroelectric projects are underway without any studies of their environmental impact.
WWF is asking France to set up a biosphere reserve and to actively promote an effective environmental policy. One reads these reports with a sense of despair. There has been much talk over the last decade, and there has been some action. But it appears to be a losing battle against powerful economic and industrial interests. It is hard to sustain enthusiasm for conservation projects when the best efforts of zealous and committed people are met with such limited success.