Rondônia developed projects promote sustainable use of natural resources in conservation units

The Government of Rondônia’s project promotes the sustainable development in all of its protected areas

The Government of Rondônia, through the Secretary of State for Environmental Development (Sedam), has developed important projects with regard to the Environment in all regions of the State, especially in the conservation units, which are protected areas, destined to nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.

In now days the management of these areas represents major challenges, requiring greater action to maintain physical integrity, because it is a national territory with a very important natural and environmental resources protected by law.

In mid-2000, the Law No. 9,885 established the National System of Nature Conservation Units (SNUC), regulating them in different categories at the federal, state and municipal levels, bringing in its basis criteria for creation, implementation and management of these territories.

In addition, this law ensures the sustainable use of natural resources and provides local communities with the possibility of developing economic activities for their livelihood. Currently, Rondônia has 49 conservation units, corresponding to 23% of the state territory.

Conservation units are divided into two specific groups, consisting of full protection units with the purpose of fully protecting nature, with prohibition do the use of its resources, and sustainable use units.

Conservation units receive inspections to prevent degradations against the environment

On the other hand, the sustainable use units make the conservation of nature compatible with the use of natural resources, allowing the presence of people, especially from traditional populations living in the area. Also, sustainable management is allowed for the extraction of wood and non-wood products.

In the use of these resources, traditional populations or business organizations are included, as long as they present technical proposals for economic viability, including anticipating the maintenance of biodiversity.

PROTECTED AREAS OF THE AMAZON

The program was created with the objective of expanding and strengthening the National System of Conservation Units (SNUC) in the Amazon, in addition to protecting 60 million hectares, ensuring financial resources for the management of these areas in the short and long term, as well as promoting sustainable development in the region.

Internationally recognized, the Amazon Protected Areas (ARPA) program combines conservation biology with planning and management practices. It is a program coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), of the Federal Government, managed financially by the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity (Funbio), and financed with resources from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), through the World Bank, of the Government of Germany.

The program is also financed through the German Development Bank (KFW), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Amazon Fund, through the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, in addition to the Private Anglo American group.

Rio Cautário Extractive Reserve

Conservation units supported by the program receives benefits as goods, works and contracting of services necessary to carry out integration activities with the surrounding communities, formation of councils, management forest plans, land surveys, inspection and other actions necessary for their good operation.

The resources are directly linked to the protection of the eight state conservation units, under the management of Sedam’s Conservation Units Coordination (CUC). Each manager has access to the acquisition of satellite images, inserted in Arpa.

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE

The project aims to develop and expand the area under legal protection and improve the management of conservation and expansion units under restoration and sustainable forest management in the Brazilian Amazon.

The project’s direct beneficiaries will be the people who live in the conservation units, mainly those in the sustainable use and surrounding areas, within productive landscapes and rural landowners in general.

The project’s proposal is also to act in the training process of public agents, in different governmental, federal, state and municipal instances, also counting on the private sector to implement the environmental recovery processes.

At Sedam the benefits are directly linked to the recovery of deforested areas in extractive reserves, such as the Rio Preto Jacundá Extractive Reserve, in Machadinho do Oeste.

 “REDD +” PROJECT – RESEX RIO PRETO JACUNDÁ

The Project for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), in the Rio Preto Jacundá State Extractive Reserve, in Machadinho do Oeste, has as beneficiaries the residents of the conservation unit themselves.

The contract was signed between the Biofílica company and the entity representing the residents of the reserve, the Asmorex Association, with the intervention of the Government of Rondônia.

In the first verification, the credits generated in the 2013 to 2015 harvests were 1,121,528 tCO2 and multiplied by BRL 7, resulting in the amount of BRL 8,480,696.00 by 2019. Discussions about this project started in the year of 2011.

“REDD +” PROJECT – RESEX RIO CAUTÁRIO

The Project for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in process at the Rio Cautário State Extractive Reserve, in Costa Marques, has the contract signed between the company Permian Global and the traditional community, with the intervention of the Government of Rondônia.

Among the project’s general objectives are to establish conditions for the effective protection and conservation of vegetation, biodiversity and ecological integrity of the extractive reserve, promoting the sustainable use of its resources, avoiding carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Simultaneously, pressures about the reserve must be reduced through integrated planning and participatory management of the territory and use of natural resources, with actions that improve the quality of life of the unit’s residents.

Among the project’s goals, stand out zero deforestation, restoration of degraded areas, monitoring of biodiversity, environmental education, extension program and community development. The project foresees a duration of 30 years, with an expectation of R$ 150 million over the period.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPENSATION

With the financial contribution of environmental compensation, the Government of Rondônia carried out the construction and reform of support bases in conservation units, enabling the implementation of two agro-industries, one for flour and the other for processing açaí pulp. Artesian wells were also built to supply drinking water to extractivists, among other actions.

SUSTAINABLE TIMBER FOREST MANAGEMENT

The wood forest management projects, implemented in conservation units in the regions of Machadinho do Oeste and Vale do Anari, were conceived in 1995 by OSR, WWF and Ecoporé, which had the support of the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) and Sedam.

The idea of ​​these projects was to create strategies to prevent illegal logging in extractive reserves and, at the same time, find alternatives capable of generating income for extractive families.

Their financial contribution contributes above all to meeting the basic needs of extractive workers, such as: better housing, drinking water, electricity or solar energy, transport, clearing fields, cleaning the trail to facilitate access, machinery for agricultural planting, among other benefits.

Translated by Lana Caroline Amorim Gomes Sarábia