Future tense

All of the 204 million hectares of the Brazilian Cerrado, a vast tropical savanna, might disappear by 2030. And this disappearing act will be more tragic than magic. According to this startling revelation, in a study by Conservation International (ci), around 57 per cent of the area has already been destroyed. Deforestation continues at a rate of 3 million hectares a year -- as much as 2.6 football fields a minute. Reason: agricultural expansion, fire and unplanned development of urban areas. The biome happens to harbour the richest savanna in the world, abundant biodiversity and important watershed resources of Brazil.