2023-12-05 19:41:26
Brazil is intensifying its actions against environmental crimes, a crucial movement to safeguard biodiversity and national sustainability. The country’s strict environmental legislation is now more firmly enforced to discourage infringements.
Inspections in protected areas were reinforced, increasing the number of monitoring operations. These measures are essential to identify and prevent illegal practices, such as deforestation, illegal hunting and water pollution. The responsible teams use cutting-edge technology, such as drones and satellite surveillance, for more efficient and comprehensive monitoring.
A Operation Biome Guardians, launched in July, has already faced more than 17 thousand forest fires in 11 states in the Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes, with plans to expand the operation to intensely combat deforestation and other environmental crimes. The Government invested more than R$60 million in the operation, mobilizing approximately 8 thousand police officers and military firefighters, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of fires.
Furthermore, the Federal Government decentralized more than R$2.2 billion to the states to invest in technology, vehicles and police reinforcement. Simultaneous operations throughout Brazil involve 27 civil and military police forces, demonstrating the integration and significant impact of these initiatives.
Around 8,556 public security professionals are involved in the operation, which has already resulted in combating 6,772 environmental crimes, imposing 1,547 fines, and fighting 784 cases of illegal deforestation.
According to the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), there was a 219% increase in fines for deforestation and other crimes against flora between January and March 2023 compared to previous years. Seizures of products related to environmental offenses increased by 133%, while embargoes on properties involved in environmental crimes grew by 93%.
Operations against illegal mining in indigenous lands resulted in the seizure of 8 aircraft, 23 boats, 3 tractors and 124 engines, in addition to the destruction of 285 illegal camps and the seizure of substances and equipment harmful to the environment.
These actions represent an integrated effort to protect Brazil’s natural heritage. The fight against environmental crimes requires cooperation between the government, private sector and citizens. Only with a collective commitment and concrete actions will it be possible to ensure environmental conservation for future generations.
In addition to the actions already mentioned, there is a change in the pattern of environmental crimes in Brazil. Unpublished research by the Security Observatories Network shows that these crimes, previously more common in forests and rural areas, are moving to the outskirts of urban centers. In Rio de Janeiro, for example, there was a 52% increase in the occurrence of environmental crimes between 2017 and 2022. Among these crimes, the illegal extraction of sand in protected areas for the construction of clandestine properties stands out. .
In addition violence against indigenous and quilombola peoples has been a worrying reality. In Pará and Bahia, for example, more than 400 people from these groups were victims of crimes against life and sexual and property violations in the same period.
Regarding the agenda to combat environmental crimes for 2023, important measures were listed such as zero deforestation in the Amazon and the intense fight against crimes such as land grabbing. Experts emphasize the need to resume the Amazon Deforestation Prevention and Control Plan (PPCDAM) and strengthen supervision against environmental crimes, including the restoration and environmental recomposition of biomes such as the Cerrado.
There is also an urgency to review the resources allocated to combating environmental crimes, considering both national resources and the resumption of foreign funds, such as the Amazon Fund. Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen IBAMA and other inspection and control bodies, with new planning and resources, and intelligence agendas to establish relationships between environmental crimes and organized crime.
The livestock chain, one of the main vectors of deforestation in the Amazon, needs transparent and efficient traceability, ensuring that there is no deforestation at any stage of the commodity production chains. Furthermore, it is essential to resume dialogue and the participation of civil society in the implementation agendas of public environmental policies, reverse the high rates of deforestation and fires, and guarantee the protection of the defenders of Brazilian biomes.
These actions represent an integrated effort to protect Brazil’s natural heritage. The fight against environmental crimes requires cooperation between the government, private sector and citizens. Only with a collective commitment and concrete actions will it be possible to ensure environmental conservation for future generations.
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