Under Protests, Brazilian Environment Minister Ends Protection of Sandbanks and Mangroves
Conama, chaired by Ricardo Salles, repeals resolutions that established criteria for the preservation of these areas
Sep.29.2020 1:55PM
Ana Carolina Amaral
SÃO PAULO
The National Council for the Environment, chaired by Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, approved on Monday (28) the repeal of its resolutions 302 and 303, which had established criteria for the preservation of coastal areas of mangroves and sandbanks, as well as areas around water reservoirs, such as urban springs.
Resolution 303 establishes that the Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) in the coastal strips, protecting the entire length of the mangroves and delimiting the sandbank strips “covered by vegetation with a dune-fixing or mangrove stabilizer function” as APPs.
Its revocation benefits the real estate sector on sandbank beaches, and shrimp farming, especially on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte.
Manguezal do Itacorubi, in Santa Catarina. Crédito: Fernando Farias - Fernando Farias
Resolution 302, on the other hand, established a minimum strip of protection of 30 meters around artificial reservoirs, such as the Billings, Guarapiranga, and Cantareira dams, in São Paulo. The revocation frees these areas for housing and economic uses, which could endanger the security of the areas and the water quality.
The council also revoked resolution 284, which submitted irrigation projects to the environmental licensing process. Among the environmental implications of irrigation, there is competition for water supply and also the risk of contamination by pesticides.
More:
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2020/09/under-protests-brazilian-environment-minister-ends-protection-of-sandbanks-and-mangroves.shtml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsen
= new reply since forum marked as read
