There are less forest fires in conservation areas attended by the Bolsa Floresta Program
Forest fire prevention is early incorporated in the design of the Bolsa Floresta Program, and is also part of the first environmental education workshop
Source: FAS
(30/08/2010 / Manaus/AM)
Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) show that the Amazonas state’s conservation units, where there is the Bolsa Floresta Program, have registered, from May 1st to August 20th this year, lower incidence of fires than other protected areas also in the Amazonas state. On average, the these areas under the Bolsa Floresta Program had 3.6 fire spots for each one million hectares, while the others – not served by the Bolsa Floresta - had 5.7 fire spots (state conservation units), 6.5 (indigenous lands), and 17.5 fires spots in federal conservation units. The number of forest fires is obtained based on 11 satellites analyzed by INPE.
The analysis was based on recent figures released by INPE on the incidence of fires in protected areas at http://www.dpi.inpe.br/proarco/bdqueimadas/.
The Bolsa Floresta Program is the largest project of payments for environmental services in the world, totalling over 10 million hectares, and has rewarded and improved traditional people’s welfare for conserving environmental services provided by rainforests by reducing deforestation and making the standing forest more valuable. The Bolsa Floresta has benefited more than seven thousand families - more than 30,000 local people.
Virgilio Viana, CEO at FAS, says that this outcome is the result of an already established goal (i.e., prevention of forest fires) at the beginning of the Bolsa Floresta Program. Moreover, he adds, this has direct relation with the Program’s first workshop, which there is environmental education lectures to all participants.
During the Bolsa Floresta’s workshops are also discussed practices for fire prevention, such as fire breaks around the grazing area avoiding the fire in open lands under very dry and windy conditions and also that the fire goes to the native forests. At the end of this first workshop, participants are invited by FAS to sign an agreement, which involves four points: e.g., "making firebreaks and using best practices to prevent forest fires.” There is no prohibition in using fire techniques for the participants of the Bolsa Floresta since they have been practicing traditionally shifting agriculture - process that involves the burning of fallows. In order to foster the fire usage reduction, FAS has promoted techniques that eliminate the need of fire, such as permaculture and agroforestry.
With four components, the Bolsa Floresta Program encourages sustainable production (Bolsa Floresta Income), investments in education, health, transport, and communication (Bolsa Floresta Social), benefits to the families involved in deforestation reduction activities (Bolsa Floresta Family) and strengthening of local associations to promote local control of the program (Bolsa Floresta Association).
Currently, FAS is in 15 conservation units considering 41 protected areas in Amazonas. The Bolsa Floresta Program was created in 2007 by the Amazonas Government, which since December 2007 is managed by FAS - a public-private, non-governmental, and public interest institution.
The vice president of the communitarian association of conservation unit in Rio Negro, Nelson Brito, said he had realized the reduction of fires in the communities in which they work through the association. “With the Bolsa Floresta we had an environmental education on how making firebreaks during the workshop. I believe that the majority of the community understands this message, and I believe that’s the reason which has reduced very much, and our goal is to reduce 100%,” he concludes.
The reduction of fires is noticeable, says the president is the community's Terra Preta and treasurer of the communitarian association in the Rio Negro, José Roberto. “The Bolsa Floresta has collaborated very much with the environment, we started to take the first step in the workshops of environmental services, and today families receive help such as the Bolsa Floresta. And during the meetings we, leaders, are learning and passing on to the community, "he said.
For further information, please contact Victor Salviati (victor.salviati@fas-amazonas.org, +55 11 4506.2900).
