Timeframe can cause deforestation of millions of hectares – 07/06/2023 – Environment

The pressure on indigenous territories could lead to the deforestation of 23 million to 55 million hectares of native vegetation, if the thesis of the temporal framework is approved by the STF (Federal Supreme Court), which begins the judgment of the matter this Wednesday (7) .

The estimate was made by Ipam (Amazon Environmental Research Institute), in a technical note that calculates the deforestation to which indigenous lands homologated after 1988 will be subject, if the timeframe is approved.

Estimated deforestation should emit from 7.6 billion to 18.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to a period of 5 and 14 years of Brazil’s total emissions, according to the NGO dedicated to scientific research in the environmental area. .

“Our expectation is that with the changes in legislation and in the demarcation and homologation processes, indigenous lands will fall into a limbo that will result in increased pressure for illegal invasion by land grabbers, currently already under way, and in an avalanche of deforestation.”

The ‘limbo’ expected by Ipam would derive from the weakening of legal security on indigenous lands approved after 1988, whose demarcation may be questioned in court if the legal thesis of the temporal framework is approved by the STF or, even, by the National Congress, where the PL 490/07, on the same topic.

The legal thesis of the temporal framework proposes the date of October 5, 1988, the day of the promulgation of the Federal Constitution, as the limit for the recognition of indigenous lands. Since 1988, 385 indigenous territories have been approved in the Legal Amazon – which covers parts of the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes.

The study estimates two scenarios: severe and very severe. In the first, the researchers use as a reference the deforestation allowed by the Forestry Code in rural properties, which is 20% of land in the Amazon biome and 50% for areas of cerrado and pantanal.

If the indigenous lands approved today lose recognition, legal deforestation in these areas would add up to 23 million hectares.

In the very serious scenario, the researchers also considered illegal deforestation, driven by land grabbing, which would lead to 50% deforestation in indigenous lands in the Amazon and 70% in the case of the Cerrado and the Pantanal, adding up to 55 million hectares deforested. .

In addition to the loss of indigenous rights, the study points out that the environmental impact of land opening can affect the rest of the country and, in particular, agribusiness, a sector favorable to the time frame.

“Progressive and uncontrolled deforestation in these territories can cause an imbalance in the climate, bringing the region closer to the so-called point of no return, generating water shortages, threatening the productivity of agriculture and power generation”, says the technical note.

“The impacts on agriculture, livestock and energy generation could be particularly relevant. Effects of ongoing climate change already affect production in 28% of agricultural areas of soy and corn in the Brazilian Midwest”, he adds.

To avoid the estimated scenarios, the study recommends strengthening Funai and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) and moving forward with the demarcation of all indigenous lands.

The researchers also suggest that part of the allocation of public forests be made to the indigenous peoples who already occupy these areas.

Another immediate measure suggested by the researchers is the fight against illegal activities in indigenous lands, “which, in addition to generating environmental and climate impacts, have increased the degree of insecurity for the peoples who live there.” The technical note also warns of the need for special care with territories where isolated indigenous peoples live.

The last recommendation of the study is of a scientific nature. “Further research to understand the interdependence of rainfall regimes that irrigate agriculture and forest cover”, says the note, which also mentions the benefit of vegetation conserved in indigenous lands for agricultural production in the country.

“It is necessary to understand that respecting original rights is essential for everyone. Indigenous peoples are the roots of our society and their traditional knowledge is the basis for maintaining a balanced climate. Several countries and scientists already recognize this importance, now Brazil needs to do its homework,” added Martha Fellows, coordinator of Ipam’s indigenous studies nucleus.

_{The Planeta em Transe project is supported by the Open Society Foundations.}