A project run by Imazon (Amazon Institute of People and the Environment) and the Vale Fund promises to change the strategies used to combat deforestation in the Amazon. A new strategic monitoring system enables forecasts of 95% reliability to be made of the areas that will most suffer from deforestation in a one-year period.
To do this, monthly monitoring is supplemented with an analysis of both natural factors (such as soil type and forest composition) and socioeconomic issues in each region. Through this analysis, it is possible to plan and/or intensify actions to combat deforestation in the identified areas.
First results
The first results indicate that, by July 2011, around 3,700 km2 of natural habitat (nearly twice the size of the city of São Paulo) will be threatened with deforestation. A large part of this area is in Pará (67%), including the municipalities of São Félix do Xingu and Novo Progresso, for example. These two municipalities are benefiting from Vale Fund projects, following the example of Paragominas, in the same region, which has managed to leave the Environment Ministry’s deforestation blacklist.
To read more about the project and see a selection of maps, visit http://www.imazon.org.br/novo2008/index.php.
Find out more about the Vale Fund
The Vale Fund acts in partnership with public institutions and third sector organizations with an initial focus on programs to combat degradation in the Amazon biome. Active for a little over a year, the fund, in which Vale is one of the main partners, has granted approximately R$13.5 million to projects designed to support sustainable development in the region.