Eduardo Riedel overturns emergency situation in MS – 02/01/2024 – Environment

Amid a fire in the Pantanal that has lasted six days and destroyed another 1,000 hectares of Serra do Amolar, in Mato Grosso do Sul, the state governor, Eduardo Riedel (PSDB), overturned a decree that declared an Emergency Situation in the municipalities of Corumbá, Ladário, Miranda, Aquidauana and Porto Murtinho, municipalities that occupy the heart of the biome. The decision appears in the Official State Gazette on Wednesday (31).

Decree “E” No. 125 was instituted on November 14 last year, due to the dry weather that affected the Pantanal and led to a higher-than-normal emergence of fire outbreaks. At the time, the head of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul highlighted that the measure was intended to help contain the fires, lasting 90 days – it would end on February 14th.

Just a month later, in December, the ecosystem experienced a period of rain and river flooding, which controlled the fire situation. However, with the early end of rainfall in January, the fires began to disperse again.

Now, with Riedel’s decision, the most affected municipalities lose an ally in the fight against the flames, since in practice, the Emergency Situation allows bidding to be waived to deal with cases with potential harm or compromise to public services, people’s safety and public or private goods.

The exemption from bidding, however, was only valid for works and services that could be completed within a maximum of one year.

In Corumbá, for example, a fire in Serra do Amolar, the main sanctuary of biodiversity in fauna and flora in the Pantanal and considered a Natural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco, completes six days this Thursday (1st). The location is difficult to access, which hinders the arrival of firefighters.

According to the NGO IHP, the flames started after a farmer set fire to a forested area to make pasture for his cattle and lost control of the fire.

“Until Tuesday (30), there were 11 fires in the territory. After the rain in the afternoon, these fires were reduced to 6 fires this Wednesday (31), in the morning. In the afternoon, field teams identified more locations with smoke and are working directly to recognize the area. Throughout the Pantanal, in this first month of the year, 115 fire events were recorded. Last year, there were 28 records”, said the IHP in a statement.

Efforts to put an end to the fire already bring together the Brazilian Navy, the Mato Grosso do Sul Fire Department and local communities. There are still 14 IHP brigades working to fight the flames.