The UK ambassador to Brazil, Peter Wilson, assessed the satellite monitoring system used by Mato Grosso to prevent and combat deforestation and forest fires as “impressive” during a visit by a delegation of ambassadors to the headquarters of the State Secretariat for the Environment. (Sema-MT), Monday afternoon (08.06).
“Today I had the opportunity to see with my own eyes a system that works very well and accurately, and I was also able to see how operators use this information to contact landowners to stop illegal deforestation. The verification system is impressive,” appreciates the ambassador.
The platform enables virtually real-time monitoring of the entire Mato Grosso region, with alerts of deforestation. In addition, to stop deforestation initially, offenders are notified by email and phone, and teams are also sent directly to the site to prevent the progress of environmental crimes. The tool is funded by the REM MT program.
On this occasion, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Maureen Lazaretti, presented Mato’s work to Ambassadors Todd C. Chapman (USA), Heiko Toms (Germany), Peter Wilson (UK) and Ignacio Ybanez Rubio (EU). Grosso to take advantage of environmental regulation and the rural environment record as a conservation strategy.
The fight against environmental crimes has also been demonstrated by the Action Plan to Combat Illegal Deforestation and Forest Fires 2021, which anticipates investments of R$73 million this year.
“Mato Grosso has a strong public environmental policy, we have been considered as an example of how to reconcile production and conservation of natural resources, with a strong strategy to combat environmental crime and, at the same time, to implement Brazilian standards,” says the director.
Mato Grosso’s fight against environmental crime has shown criminals that crime doesn’t pay. “We’ve started another phase of Operation Amazônia, putting another 100 servers in the field to check and arrest machines to break up violators, and fine those who insist on promoting illegal deforestation. Mato Grosso’s goal is to completely eradicate deforestation,” he says.
The REM MT Program Coordinator, Lígia Vendramin, has provided authorities with investments and projects that, in addition to supporting environmental conservation initiatives, promote family farming for traditional and indigenous peoples and communities.
The role and initiatives of bioeconomy in Mato Grosso were presented by International Relations Consultant, Rita Ciletto, highlighting the appreciation of forest products such as fruits and essential oils, among others, which contribute to maintaining positive economic and social impacts in the region. Communities.
Fernando Sampaio, Executive Director of Product Conservation and Inclusion (PCI) Strategy, demonstrated resource capture and a network of institutional partners, who invest and collaborate to expand and increase the efficiency of sustainable agricultural and forestry production, contributing to the preservation of local vegetation and a low-carbon economy.
Also present was Sima CEO Alex Mariga. Deputy Environmental Management, Lucien Bertinato Copetti; Environmental Permits and Water Resources, Lilian Ferreira dos Santos; From the regular administration, Valdinei Valério da Silva, is among the supervisors and coordinators of Sema.
About REM MT
The REM MT (REDD for Pioneers) program is an award for the State of Mato Grosso for its results in reducing deforestation in the past 10 years. International cooperation between the UK and Germany governments donates resources through BEIS and the German Development Bank (KfW) to the programme, which applies to forest conservation actions in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the planet. To this end, it directly benefits initiatives that contribute to reducing deforestation, promoting low-carbon agriculture and supporting indigenous peoples and traditional communities.
It is coordinated by the State Government of Mato Grosso, through the State Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA), and financially managed by the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity (FUNBIO).
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