Deforestation in Brazil has increased again after earlier improvements. Notably, from August 2022 to July 2023, an area measuring 9,064 square kilometres (km²) was cleared in the Amazon, while 11,011 km² were lost in the Cerrado. In response, a law, the "New Forest Code", passed in 2012,requires landowners to protect native plants and register all their rural properties in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR). So far, more than 7.2 million properties, covering 671 million hectares, have been registered. However, despite these efforts, ensuring that everyone follows these rules remains a significant challenge, particularly through state programmes designed to protect the environment such as the State Environmental Compliance Programs (PRA).
Environmental compliance and rural management are effectively reducing deforestation, conserving biodiversity, and restoring degraded areas.
The project builds partnerships with state agencies and civil organisations, ensuring integration with other land policies to provide technical assistance and rural extension services. To achieve its goals, the project focuses on:
- enhancing the skills of the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB), the National Institute for Colonisation and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), and State Environmental Agencies (OEMAs).
- improving the use of environmental compliance tools in Acre, Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia.
- developing skills for environmental compliance across all areas.
- supporting partnerships for environmental registrations in traditional populations' territories and agrarian reform settlements.
- developing effective methodologies tailored to the needs of traditional peoples and communities.
- establishing integrated task forces to increase the number of rural environmental registries.
- expanding efforts into the Cerrado Biome, one of the world's most biodiverse savannahs.