Preserved area in Tocantins stores millions of tons of carbon credits

Tocantins has a Cerrado biome in around 91% of its territory and is the second state with the largest preserved area of ​​the biome in Brazil. This Sunday (11) National Cerrado Day, the Secretariat of Environment and Water Resources (Semarh) recalls that recently, the State became eligible to capture payments for results in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in the biome. The resource is considered an incentive and another reason to preserve the Cerrado.

In Tocantins territory, the Cerrado has features of clean and dirty countryside, thin, typical, dense and rocky savannah, savanna park, veredas and cerradão, in addition to 7,95% in an ecological transition region. It is estimated that the biome is home to around 11.627 species of native plants, 4.400 of endemic plants, 199 of mammals, 837 of birds, 1.200 of fish, 180 of reptiles, 150 of amphibians, 820 species of bees, in addition to various fruits of great nutritional power and 220 species of medicinal plants.

According to a survey by the director of Environmental Intelligence, Climate and Forest of Semarh, the State has 174 thousand km2 of preserved area and 50 conservation units (UCs) between federal, state and municipal, in 43,5 thousand km², of which (21 ) Environmental Protection Area – APA, (11) Private Natural Heritage Reserve - RPPN, (01) Extractive Reserve, (13) Parks, (01) Ecological Station and (03) Natural Monuments (03).

A series of aquatic environments can also be found in this Biome, from springs, ephemeral lagoons and swampy environments (buritizais and paths) to rivers and streams, forming the main hydrographic basins in Brazil. According to Semarh, the largest portion of the Tocantins-Araguaia Hydrographic Basin is concentrated in the Cerrado of Tocantins, considered the largest BH exclusively in Brazilian territory, which has 967.059 km², equivalent to 10% of the country's fresh water, as it extends over six states: Tocantins, Pará, Maranhão, Goiás, Distrito Federal and Mato Grosso.

Water Management in the Cerrado

The acting Secretary of State of Semarh, Aldo Azevedo, highlights the efforts involved in preserving water resources in the Cerrado do Tocantins biome. “In Tocantins, mostly covered by the Cerrado biome, the State, through Semarh, invests resources, cutting-edge technology and develops actions that rely on institutional partnership, involvement of universities, federal, state and municipal bodies, in addition to the essential participation of Committees, in watershed revitalization actions”, highlighted Aldo Azevedo.

Tocantins invests in expanding the production of native seedlings, which help in the recovery and preservation of river basins. “With the Tocantins Watershed Revitalization Program, Semarh structured the CRAD [Reference Center for Nature Conservation and Recovery of Degraded Areas] and new units are being installed. Starting next year, the estimate is that the production of native vegetation seedlings in the State will increase from 200 to 500 thousand seedlings/year, expanding its capacity to support densification and recovery actions in degraded areas”, said Aldo Azevedo.

Through the Tocantins Hydrometeorological Network, the State monitors the quantity and quality of water. “Through Progestion [Consolidation Program of the National Pact for Water Management], today we have the Tocantins Hydrometeorological Network, which with the expansion will add 66 Data Collection Platforms. With Qualiágua [National Water Quality Assessment Program], 80 stations are designed in 27 Basins, currently 18 parameters are analyzed and the Water Quality Index is calculated, with quarterly bulletins being issued. Semarh also maintains the Barraginhas project, for the installation of small rainwater infiltration basins in rural areas, last year there were 3.200 units, on average 200 reservoirs per municipality”, concluded Aldo Azevedo.

CO2 in Cerrado-Tocantins

With the estimated forest carbon credit resulting from the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to deforestation and REDD+ degradation in the Cerrado of Tocantins of more than 108,2 million tons of CO₂, the superintendent of Management and Public Policies Environmentalist at Semarh, Marli Santos, recalls that the State recently became eligible to transact financial resources in the voluntary carbon market, destined for the environmental, social and infrastructure agenda and the investment agenda of Tocantins Competitive and Sustainable.

The superintendent states that the calculations are complex, but the estimate indicates the flow and storage capacity of CO₂ in the preserved Cerrado. “Depending on the characteristics of the biome in the credit area, the calculation considers the carbon storage capacity of the tree, vegetation or hectare of preserved Cerrado soil, that is, the estimated storage of greenhouse gases (GHG) in tons , which are no longer being released into the atmosphere and this result is the so-called CO2eq (carbon equivalent) credit, which is later converted into financial resources”, summarized Marli Santos.

For Marli Santos, the credit reserve of 108,2 million tons of CO₂eq in the Cerrado of Tocantins, between 2011 and 2020, is the result of the State's efforts. “This is a reflection of the work carried out to progressively reduce deforestation and forest degradation, through actions such as the implementation of the Plan to Prevent and Combat Deforestation and Forest Fires and the commitments made in the Rio Branco Declaration, Under2 MoU, Bonn Challenge and the ABC Plan”, assessed the Semarh superintendent.

Climate Resilience

In relation to climate change, superintendent Marli Santos emphasized that it is time to act towards resilience. “With an estimated increase of 1,5 degrees in the global average temperature over the next 30 years, it is time to act together on climate change resilience, also paying attention to the Cerrado biome. In this biome, despite the resistant vegetation, the production of cultivars and animal reproduction, which are increasingly modern; We are already facing difficulties with high temperatures, water scarcity and the suppression of vegetation, whether due to deforestation or the incidence of burning and forest fires”, highlighted Marli Santos.

The superintendent listed the resources used in the State's environmental management. “In Tocantins we work on the implementation of the Forest Code with the CAR/Tocantins Legal Project, in the environmental regularization of rural properties; with the Information Sharing Platform (PCI) that helps monitor native vegetation areas; in addition to research by the Environmental Monitoring and Fire Management Center (Cemaf/UFT) that helps monitor deforestation and understand the dynamics of fire in the Cerrado. The data illustrates the situation and guides the demand for action in each region”, pointed out Marli Santos.

From an economic point of view, Marli Santos reiterated that Tocantins transforms environmental services into financial assets. “The State is advancing in the implementation of economic instruments, such as the REDD+ Jurisdictional Program; in addition to the State Policy on Climate Change and Environmental Services, the State Forest Plan, the Environmental Regularization Program of the Forest Code, the Rural Environmental Registry and the ICMS-Ecológico program, which last year exceeded R$ 130,5 million in transferring resources to municipalities, for environmental actions, of which more than R$40,1 million went towards conservation criteria”, he highlighted.

Sustainability

During the dry period in Tocantins there is a combination of high temperatures, strong winds and accumulation of dry vegetation, which increases the risk of fires and forest fires. With the Foco no Fogo Program, Semarh and partners work to prevent fires and forest fires, within the scope of the Fire Committee. For the fight, this year, Semarh transferred R$1,3 million to the Fire Department, for the selection, hiring and training of firefighters.

During this period, with the reduction in the water level, sand banks appear and the season for river beaches, campsites, waterfalls and resorts begins. Every year, ecotourism in Tocantins attracts more people to its natural beauty. And with the Praia Consciente Project, Semarh and partners work to prevent the consequences of inadequate waste disposal in these locations.

Semarh's Executive Secretary, Karynne Sotero, took stock of the educational actions. “Before the critical period, the Foco no Fogo program covered almost 4 thousand rural properties in 60 municipalities, with prevention guidance on the risks of uncontrolled fire. And with the Praia Consciente project team, we visited 12 beaches, in seven municipalities, to raise awareness about the importance of cleaning the environment and waters. Environmental education is a continuous process and the involvement of the population is essential for the preservation of the local biome”, she summarized.