The Mato Grosso State Secretariat for the Environment (Sema-MT) has submitted to the World Bank monitoring mission the actions developed over the past year to fight illegal deforestation, monitor compliance, promote environmental regularisation and make investments to improve services. The information was shared in a videoconference held on 19 January 2021, with the participation of Secretaries of Sema-MT, the World Bank climate change group representative, Alexandre Kossoy, and economist Gabriel Zaourak, as well as the executive director of the PCI Institute, Fernando Sampaio.
The bank granted a US$ 250 million loan to the State, in 2020, for the priority given to sustainable production, with the PCI strategy and the PCI Institute’s endorsement accepted as environmental collateral in return.
“The state of Mato Grosso has committed to the World Bank to move forward in the fight against illegal deforestation, environmental regularisation, and in the improvement and agility of services and the prevention of environmental crimes to identify and hold offenders accountable when necessary, in addition to promoting awareness towards preservation,” explains Sema Executive Secretary Alex Marega.
One of the figures presented was the 27% reduction in illegal deforestation between June and December 2020, thanks to the improvements in monitoring made possible by the implementation of the real-time deforestation detection system, which uses Planet satellite images, allowing quick and preventive actions, as well as greater accuracy in the infraction notices. The system was acquired with funding from the REDD Early Movers Programme (REM).
Another important system for fighting deforestation reinforces the downward trend in the figures in the state of Mato Grosso. According to data from DETER, from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), released by Sema-MT, between August 2020 and January 2021, the state recorded a 31.5% drop in deforestation alerts.
Investments that produce results
IDH and the State Government have a partnership, formalized in 2016, to develop joint actions that foster sustainable production, promote the conservation of natural resources and support socio-environmental inclusion, in addition to efforts to attract capital and markets.
In the last five years, IDH has invested around 9 million Euros in Mato Grosso, with more than 4 million Euros allocated to the PCI Strategy, with direct support to the structuring of its governance, including the Regional Compacts and the creation of the Institute. Another part of the resources is being used to help Sema-MT promote environmental and land regularisation. The funds are also allocated to co-financing projects with the private sector.
“We have been following the state development in the search for productive sustainability with inclusion and we believe that publicizing these achievements is of fundamental importance. Accessing information through an official source makes a big difference for those who have no direct contact with the State reality,” says Daniela Mariuzzo, executive director of IDH in Brazil.