Previous edition identified almost 18,000 hectares of deforestation; coordinated by MP-MG and the Brazilian Association of Members of the Public Ministry for the Environment
Held annually, an action to combat deforestation in the Atlantic Forest in 17 states began on Monday (September 16, 2024). Called Operation Mata Atlântica em Pé, the initiative is coordinated by MP-MG (Public Ministry of Minas Gerais) and Abrampa (Brazilian Association of Members of the Public Ministry for the Environment).
The operation is carried out simultaneously in all states where the Atlantic Forest is present: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Sergipe.
The result of a joint action between state public prosecutors and related environmental agencies, the action is divided into phases. In the first phase, deforested areas are identified based on information from the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation and Mapbiomas Alerta. Then, the owners are identified by the public prosecutors and the areas are inspected by public agencies and environmental police. If deforestation is detected, those responsible are charged and may be held liable in civil and criminal courts.
Atlantic Forest
From 2022 to 2023, deforestation in the biome fell by 27%, from 20,075 hectares to 14,697. The data comes from the Atlantic Forest Atlas, coordinated by SOS Mata Atlântica and INPE (National Institute for Space Research), which also shows a drop in deforestation in 13 of the 17 states covered by the biome – Piauí, Ceará, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco were the exceptions. Last year, the illegal removal of 17,931 hectares of native Atlantic Forest vegetation was also identified by the national operation conducted by the public ministries.
In a statement, the Public Prosecutor of the Public Ministry of Paraná and president of Abrampa, Alexandre Gaio, argued that the operation consolidated a culture of monitoring illegal deforestation in the biome through the use of intelligence and the continuous engagement of public ministries and environmental monitoring bodies, “which has also contributed to reducing illegal logging rates and tackling climate change”.
The result of this year’s edition of the operation will be presented at the end of the inspection actions, on September 27, with live online transmission by the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais.
With information from Brazil Agency.
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