One hundred days: Environment takes more than 30 special actions to prevent deforestation and preserve nature

To preserve nature, teams from the Municipal Department of the Environment often have to work in areas controlled by criminals who are responsible for deforestation and illegal construction of properties. This activity requires training and even support from security forces. However, none of this prevents this work from being carried out, and in the first hundred days of the department's administration, there were more than 30 special environmental restoration actions in all regions of the city.

In general, the teams act based on complaints received through the 1746 Hotline and on official letters sent by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Courts, and go out on the streets to check what is happening. The department's inspectors can embargo and block construction work and even recommend the demolition of buildings in deforested areas. The professionals also monitor environmental licensing processes for large-scale projects.

– It’s a lot of work. There are many industrial projects in areas such as Campo Grande and Santa Cruz, and the department is responsible for supervising these activities in cases where environmental licensing is required – says geologist Mário Silva, regional manager for the West Zone of the Municipal Department of the Environment.

Mário emphasizes that the inspection work is arduous, as the rate of invasions is high in the city, and the department works to slow down this process, which has a direct impact on the preservation of environmental quality:

– Deforestation creates heat islands, for example. Combating this type of crime is essential.

But acting in these situations requires strategy and even support from the Military Police. This means that an operation to demolish an illegal building is slower than expected, according to Mário:

– The team needs to protect itself and know how far it can go. We have had watercourses blocked due to illegal construction and houses built on riverbanks. Before going to the site for inspection, we research the area, check whether it is low risk or not, and which agencies we will need for support. And it is common for inspectors to be intimidated, watched, and notice the movement of cars and motorcycles. And common sense must always prevail. If you are unable to proceed with an operation, cancel it, evaluate it further, and return with greater equipment.

 

Below is the Environmental report:

– Creation of the General Coordination of Environmental Defense, responsible for integrating strategic and tactical planning and making environmental defense actions effective through unprecedented special operations. There were more than 30 special environmental restoration actions in all regions of the city.

– Installation of trackers in all Environmental Patrol cars, and provision for a joint resolution establishing hierarchical-operational submission to the General Coordination of Environmental Defense.

– Cooperation with security agencies from the three spheres of government, creating unprecedented and effective access for the municipal environmental authority to environmental protection areas under the control of criminal groups.

– He requested that Inea, the state environmental agency, definitively shelve the project that would destroy the biodiversity of a forest, in addition to starting studies to create a conservation unit in Deodoro.

– The River Guardians program was resumed with more than 20 fronts under the technical guidance of the Rio Águas Foundation, integrating the 2021 service planning with manual cleaning and heavy machinery, in more than 50 rivers.

– Warehouse audit, ensuring 30% savings on expenses with uniforms, tools and PPE for 2021.

– Administrative restructuring, without increasing costs, to create three management departments specialized in Green Area Management. These are Strategic Planning, Management Instruments and Operations in Conservation Units. The three managers are civil servants and were chosen based on their technical capacity.

– The Conservation Unit Operations Management led a revitalization of all the city’s parks, coordinating the work of managers with the City Hall’s departments and services.

– New planning and identity of the program inserted in the context of combating hunger and food security.

– Rio de Janeiro elected to coordinate the CB27 nationally (election 08.04). Development of a project to host “Rio + 30” bringing together mayors and members of civil society from all over the world.

– The Rio Águas and Parques e Jardins foundations began to develop projects together, under the command of the Environment Secretariat.

– Paradigm shift: from concrete-based solutions to nature-based solutions, in line with the new Sustainable Development Plan.

 

One hundred days: Health Department's balance sheet has the opening of 383 new beds and more than 1 million people vaccinated

One hundred days: Health Department's balance sheet has the opening of 383 new beds and more than 1 million people vaccinated

One hundred days: Health Department's balance sheet has the opening of 383 new beds and more than 1 million people vaccinated

One hundred days: Health Department's balance sheet has the opening of 383 new beds and more than 1 million people vaccinated

One hundred days: Seop issues more than 30 thousand fines when monitoring compliance with life protection measures

One hundred days: Seop issues more than 30 thousand fines when monitoring compliance with life protection measures

Category:

• City
• Environment and Climate
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April 14th 2021

Appointments: one hundred days One hundred days of management environment City Hall of Rio Rio de Janeiro City Hall