In the midst of the Amazon jungle's intense heat, Brazilian Indians and officials gathered beneath a towering canopy to urge U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to mobilize international support for protecting the world's largest rain forest. Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva emphasized the need for concrete mechanisms to benefit the Amazon's residents during a meeting with Ban near Belem, the region's largest city. Ban, who was concluding a South American tour focused on global warming, listened to pleas from Amazon Indian Marcos Apurina for incentives to support forest dwellers. Ban also received a necklace made of native plant seeds and viewed various forest products during his visit. He reassured the group that the United Nations would support their efforts. This is a shared resource for all of humanity." Ban recently interacted with a three-toed sloth and planted two native trees at a botanical garden in Belem. He is getting ready for a UN climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, scheduled for December, where discussions on reducing carbon emissions post-Kyoto Protocol expiration in 2012 will begin. Brazil's high carbon emissions, largely attributed to Amazon rainforest destruction, rank it fourth globally. Ban did not address Brazil's decision against setting deforestation and carbon emission reduction goals. He praised Brazil for reducing forest destruction by 50 percent in two years, despite the rate increasing again since August. The Amazon's release of carbon dioxide from burning or decomposition contributes to global warming. Farmers and loggers clear large portions of the forest annually, depending on market prices. Silva, a former rubber tapper and activist, asked Ban to support a proposal in the Convention on Biodiversity to make pharmaceutical companies pay for drugs derived from Amazon plants. Ban said he would review the proposal after meeting with Silva on Monday. Researchers predict that global warming may transform a portion of the Amazon into a semi-arid savanna in the coming decades. Severe weather patterns have led to both droughts and floods in different regions. Ban's scheduled trip along an Amazon tributary near Santarem was called off due to low water levels. Despite commending Brazil for its efforts in creating low-emission biofuels, Ban emphasized the importance of further international research to assess the potential impact of large-scale production on food supplies. Over the weekend, he toured a plant in Sao Paulo state, highlighting Brazil's position as one of the leading and most cost-effective producers of ethanol. The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has stepped up police actions against illegal loggers and has also enlarged protected areas. However, there are concerns among conservationists that the construction of roads and hydroelectric plants could potentially lead to higher rates of deforestation in the future.