The Brazil Institute and the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Invites you to a seminar on

Wednesday, March 30^th, 2011 – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

5^th Floor Conference Room

Less known than the Amazon, Mata Atlântica, the Atlantic Forest, once covered the coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte to Rio Grande do Sul and extended inland as far as Paraguay and Argentina. The territory it once occupied is now home to 120 million people. The Atlantic Forest has lost almost 90 percent of its original mix of tropical and subtropical moist forests, savannas, and mangroves over the last 200 year and is today the country’s most threatened biome Despite the intense ecosystem devastation, the forest remains a repository of biodiversity and is globally known as one of the five top Biodiversity hotspots in the world.  Moreover, it is responsible for supplying water for millions of people and businesses in Brazil’s most densely populated regions.

On March 30, leaders of the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact will discuss a major ongoing effort to preserve and bring Mata Atlântica back from the brink of destruction. Launched in April 2009, the pact has brought together over 170 environmental organizations, private companies, governments, researchers, and landowners. Despite promising initial results, major challenges remain.

For more information and directions, visit www.wilsoncenter.org\brazil