Environment

Sustainable Use
Brazil holds the greatest biological diversity on the planet, which includes Mata Atlântica and the Amazon – one of the biggest tropical forests in the world and the biggest water spring on Earth. According to Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), in 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, Brazil marked its presence at COP10 (United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity), held in Nagoya, Japan). The meeting sought a consensus to significantly diminish the loss of biodiversity on the planet in the next decades and established new ecosystem protection agreements and a genetic resources protocol.

Juan Pratginestós Enlarge

• Between 2004 and 2009, the Amazon registered the lowest deforestation level in the last 21 years

Another important event in 2010 was the 16th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 16), held in Cancun, Mexico. Along with over 190 participants, Brazil defended the adoption of measures to reduce greenhouse effect emissions in the atmosphere.

The commitment to the conservation of the environment and the responsible use of natural resources is a way to guarantee the population’s life quality and enhance our wealth for future generations.

Deforestation Reduction in the country

Amazon
Reduction of 53% in accumulated deforestation from 2004 to 2009, when the lowest deforestation in the last 21 years was registered, adding up to 7,464 km2.
Source: Balance of the Government (content in portuguese)

Caatinga
Between 2002 and 2008 the biome lost only 3.6% of its remaining vegetation cover, pointing to an effective annual average deforestation rate of around 0.33% per year.
Cerrado
Between 2002 and 2008 the biome lost 7.5% of its remaining vegetation cover, pointing to an effective annual average deforestation rate of around 0.69% per year.

Mata Atlântica
Suppression of 2,742 km² between 2002 and 2008 (0.25% of the biome), that is, an annual average suppression rate of 457 km² (0.04%) in that period.

Pampa
Native vegetation cover suppression in approximately 2,179km² between 2002 and 2008, which represents an average of 0.2% of its native vegetation per year.

Pantanal
Pantanal had a deforestation of 4.279 km² between 2002 and 2008.
Source: Satellite System to Monitor Deforestation in the Caatinga, Cerrado, Mata Atântica, Pampa and Pantanal Biomes (content in portuguese) 

Juan Pratginestos Enlarge

• Brazil holds the greatest biological diversity on the planet, which includes Mata Atlântica and the Amazon

Biological Reserves
43 units, being 29 federal and 14 state ones.
Source: MMA(content in portuguese)

Public forests included in the CNFP (National Roll of Public Forests) until 2010 
290 million hectares of registered public forests, were included in the National Roll of Public Forests -  an addition of 21.38 % in comparison to the 2009.

Greenhouse effect gas emissions reduction target 
Reduce emissions between 36.1% and 38.9% until 2020, based on 2010 levels (between 1.17-1.26 GtCO2eq until 2020).

Conservation Units (UCS)
767 conservation units, being 310 federal, 397 state and 60 municipal.

Water Resources 
Brazil is divided in 12 water regions and holds 11% of the planet’s water resources, corresponding to over 5,700 km3.

Watch the interview with Cláudio Pádua, vice-president of the Institute of Ecological Research (IPÊ).