Less deforestation, more savings, and more health: Spillovers from the implementation of national commitments to mitigate climate change by 2050

Between 2001 and 2019, Peru has improved its economic and social performance indicators. The total GDP has multiplied by 2.5 times at an average annual growth rate of 4.61% (INEI, 2021). However, economic growth has been accompanied by three problematic issues. Firstly, a total of 2.6 million hectares of forest cover reduction between 2001 and 2020, reaching a deforestation level of 203 thousand hectares in 2020, which is the highest level in the last 20 years (Dourojeanni et al, 2020; Bastos et al., 2021). Secondly, even two previous malaria control strategies were implemented by the Ministry of Health (the first between October 2005 and September 2010, and the second between 2017 and 2021), once both policies concluded, malaria incidence increases again showing a positive correlation with deforestation. Thirdly, considering that deforestation in the Amazon is the main challenge to be addressed in the fight against climate change, and that people's health is indirectly compromised by climate change (Groves et al., 2020, Benavides et al., 2021) and directly by deforestation (Yasuoka and Levins, 2007; Vittor et al., 2006; Bustíos et al., 2014), increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 154 to 205 Mt of CO2 equivalent in 2005 to 2016, respectively (MINAM, 2021), certainly, raises a concern.