Droughts have been recurrent and intense in recent years in Brazil, contributing to land degradation and socioeconomic/environmental impacts. Even, in the Southeast region of Brazil, 37% of the land is moderately to critically degraded, with 122 municipalities in northern Minas Gerais classified as areas susceptible to desertification (ASD).
To address this, a regional seminar was held at the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (Cemaden) on June 3rd and 4th to develop the 2nd Brazilian Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Mitigate the Effects of Drought (PAB). This initiative, led by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), brought together 50 representatives from various sectors to discuss and propose solutions.
The seminar included discussions on the climatic and socioeconomic situation of the Southeast region, as well as working group meetings to develop proposals for inclusion in the 2nd PAB. The Southeast region is home to over 20 million people, representing 41.78% of the Brazilian population, and has experienced significant population growth in recent years.
The 2nd PAB Brazil aims to propose and plan concrete strategic actions in the short, medium, and long terms to combat desertification, mitigate the effects of droughts, and prevent and reverse land degradation. To achieve this, 10 state seminars and three regional ones (Southeast, Midwest, and North) have been held to understand regional and territorial contexts, aiming at the construction of the 2nd PAB Brazil. The seminar for the South region has not yet taken place due to heavy rains in the area.
These seminars represent fundamental participatory stages that connect different segments of society, including municipal, state, and federal governments, civil society, the scientific community, and the business sector, all contributing to discussions on situations, proposals, and action goals. The 2nd PAB Brazil is expected to be presented at COP 16, to be held in Saudi Arabia between December 3rd and 15th, 2024.
"The elaboration of the action plan depends on the political context and commitment to this agenda. The set of initiatives must reflect the characteristics of each region of the country. The Plan must reflect the people, those who are being affected by land degradation," clarifies Alexandre Pires - director of the Desertification Department of the Ministry of the Environment (MMA).