Workshop outlines plan for recovery of degraded areas in Rondônia

Today and tomorrow (14 and 15/12) the Workshop “Recovery of degraded areas in conservation units: Action Plan and Institutional Collaboration” will take place with the aim of bringing together representatives from different sectors to discuss opportunities for the restoration of degraded areas in units federal conservation authorities in Rondônia. 

The Workshop is part of the strategic lines of the Forest Management and Fire Prevention Program in Brazil, in which the National Center for Biodiversity Assessment and Research and Conservation of the Cerrado (CBC), of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) International Program in Brazil, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have been working since 2021. The objective is to define general lines of action for the recovery of degraded areas in federal conservation units. 

The importance of this workshop is due to the potential of multifunctional recovery of degraded areas to generate environmental, economic and social benefits. In the Brazilian Amazon alone, at least more than 10 million hectares capable of restoration have been identified in which viability and such benefits are maximized[1]. Recent studies show that the restoration chain also has the potential to boost economies and generate 42 jobs for every 100 hectares restored[2].

It is in this context that CBC/ICMBio and USFS engaged other actors to join efforts with the Forest Management and Fire Prevention Program in Brazil. The Workshop is also coordinated by representatives from the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) who develop actions in the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Project (ASL-Brazil). 

The event, which takes place in Porto Velho, has the support and participation of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in Rondônia. Representatives of federal and state government organizations from Rondônia, the private sector and organized civil society also participate. 

One of the workshop's products is the proposal of an interinstitutional action plan that includes priority sites for the development of good practices for the recovery of degraded areas, including the mobilization of actors and resources in the context of interagency cooperation and organized civil society. Priority sites must also have a plan for monitoring activities and results, as well as a communication and dissemination plan for learning to scale the work.

The Forest Management and Fire Prevention Program in Brazil is supported by USAID and developed by the USFS in collaboration with Brazilian government agencies and civil society organizations. In addition to ICMBio, government partners include the National Indian Foundation (Funai) and the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), through the National Center for the Prevention and Combat of Forest Fires (Prevfogo).