President Lula sanctions National Integrated Fire Management Policy

The new policy includes the controlled use of fire in agricultural and conservation activities, with authorization from the competent bodies

01.08.2024 | 08:44 (UTC -3)
Cultivar Magazine

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sanctioned yesterday, in a ceremony held in Corumbá, the law that establishes the National Policy for Integrated Fire Management. Law 14.944/2024 was published in today's Official Gazette of the Union. The initiative aims to prevent and combat forest fires, conserve ecosystems and respect traditional practices.

In Mato Grosso do Sul, the president visited the local base with Federal Government teams working in the task force against forest fires. The agenda was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, and the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva.

The new policy includes the controlled use of fire in agricultural and conservation activities, with authorization from the competent bodies. The strategy combines technical, scientific and traditional knowledge to minimize the impacts of fire, ensuring environmental and human safety.

Lula highlighted that the policy will be a watershed for environmental issues in the country. "What we signed here will be a milestone in fighting fires in this country," he said. The president highlighted the importance of the brigadistas' work and recalled that Brazil will host COP 30 in Belém next year.

Minister Fávaro emphasized the importance of the measure for the Pantanal, which is facing strong consequences of the drought. "In this scenario, the risk of fire and lack of water is very high and could have devastating consequences for the region," he warned.

The Ministry of the Environment's proposal recognizes the ecological role of fire in ecosystems and respects traditional practices of using fire by indigenous, quilombola and other traditional communities. Burnings for subsistence agriculture by these communities do not require authorization, but must follow prior agreements and communication to forest brigades.

Marina Silva highlighted three determining factors for the situation in the Pantanal: climate change, deforestation and fires. "The fire is not state, it is not federal, it is not municipal. It is something to be fought and managed properly," she said.

The policy will be implemented in cooperation between the Union, states, municipalities, civil society and private entities. The main objectives include the prevention and reduction of forest fires, the promotion of the controlled use of fire, training to combat fires, the conservation and recovery of native vegetation and accountability for the unauthorized use of fire. Governance will be carried out by the National Integrated Fire Management Committee.

Some points of Law 14.944-24

The new law presents definitions of regulated situations:

Art. 1º The National Integrated Fire Management Policy is established, with the aim of regulating and promoting interinstitutional coordination regarding:

I - integrated fire management;

II - reducing the incidence and damage of forest fires in the national territory;

III - recognition of the ecological role of fire in ecosystems and respect for knowledge and practices of traditional use of fire.

Single paragraph. The National Integrated Fire Management Policy will be implemented by the Union, the States, the Federal District, the Municipalities, civil society and private entities, in cooperation and in coordination with each other.

Art. 2º For the purposes of the provisions of this Law, it is considered:

I - forest fire: any uncontrolled and unplanned fire that affects forests and other forms of vegetation, native or planted, in rural areas and that, regardless of the ignition source, requires a response;

II - controlled burning: planned, monitored and controlled use of fire, carried out for agroforestry purposes in determined areas and under specific conditions;

III - prescribed burning: planned, monitored and controlled use of fire, carried out for conservation, research or management purposes in determined areas and under specific conditions, with predefined objectives in an integrated fire management plan;

IV - traditional and adaptive use of fire: ancestral practice adapted to current territorial, environmental and climatic conditions, used by indigenous peoples, quilombola communities and other traditional communities in their physical and cultural reproduction activities, related to agriculture, hunting, extractivism, culture and worldview, typical of its territorial and environmental management;

V - use of fire in a supportive manner: action carried out jointly by family farmers, through joint efforts or another type of interaction, which simultaneously covers 2 (two) or more small properties or contiguous family rural possessions;

VI - fire regime: frequency, season, size of the burned area, intensity, severity and type of burning in a given area or ecosystem;

VII - ecosystem associated with fire: one in which fire, natural or caused, fulfills an ecological role in its functions and processes;

VIII - prevention of forest fires: continuous measures carried out in integrated fire management with the aim of reducing the occurrence and spread of forest fires and their negative impacts;

IX - combating forest fires: set of activities related to the control and extinguishing of fires from their detection to their complete extinction;

X - Operative Plan for the Prevention and Combat of Forest Fire: Practical -Operational Document for Human Resources Management, Materials and Support for Decision Making in the Development of Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Actions, which aims to objectively define efficient strategies and measures, applicable annually, that minimize the risk of forest fires and their impacts in a defined area;

XI - integrated fire management: planning and management model that combines ecological, cultural, socioeconomic and technical aspects in the execution, integration, monitoring, evaluation and adaptation of actions related to the use of prescribed and controlled burning and prevention and fighting forest fires, with a view to reducing emissions of particulate matter and greenhouse gases, conserving biodiversity and reducing the severity of forest fires, respecting the traditional and adaptive use of fire;

XII - authorization by adherence and commitment: authorization for controlled burning upon declaration of adherence and commitment to the requirements pre-established by the competent body.

The full text of Law 14.944/2024 can be read at the link below.

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