fact-sheet india final

7/23/2019 Fact-sheet India Final

1/23

Biodiversity in Brazil

BIODIVERSITY

Fact SheetUNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON BIOLOGICAL

DIVERSITY (COP11) HYDERABAD, INDIA

October 2012

IN BRAZIL

Secretariat for Social CommunicationPresidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil


2/23

2Biodiversity in Brazil

About Secom

The Secretariat for Social Communication (SECOM) of the Presidency ofBrazil is responsible for coordinating the public relations activities forthe government of Brazil. The official website of the Brazilian Stateis www.brasil.gov.br.

Press Contacts in Hyderabad

Maysa [email protected]

+55-61-8170-0708

Melissa [email protected]+1-347-891-2890

Press Contacts in New York

Sarah [email protected]

Press Contacts in Braslia

Joo Paulo [email protected]+55-61-3411-4926


3/23

Contents

TucanPhotos: Juan Pratginests

BASIC FACTS 4

BRAZILIAN BIOMES 5

PROGRESS IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION 10

SATELLITE MONITORING 13

OTHER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES 15

ESTABLISHING BIODIVERSITY TARGETS FOR 2020 19

ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING (ABS) 20


4/23

BASIC FACTS

Brazil is among the most biodiverse nations in the world:

An estimated 20 percentof the Earths biodiversity is found in Brazil.

Brazil is home to at least 103,870 animal species and between 43,000and 49,000 plant species not to mention microorganisms, algae andseveral biological groups never before studied.

Only 7,302 of the animal species and approximately 40,000 of the

plant species in Brazil have been scientifically documented, accordingto the Ministry of the Environment and National Center for FloraConservation.

Approximately 700 new animal species are discovered each year inBrazil, and a new plant species is identified approximately every twodays.

Sussuarana



5/23


BRAZILIAN BIOMES

AMAZON BIOME

CERRADOBIOME

PANTANAL BIOME

ATLANTICFOREST BIOME

PAMPA BIOME

CAATINGABIOME

Brazils biodiversity is distributed around the countrys six

biomes, and its Marine and Coastal Zone:


6/23

Amazon (Tropical Rainforest)The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the world and spans across ninecountries, including Brazil. The Brazilian Amazon covers around 4 millionsquare-kilometers (almost half the national territory) and is home to highrates of biodiversity. The forest plays a fundamental role in the climatebalance of the planet.

Mata Atlntica (Tropical Deciduous Rainforest)The Mata Atlntica, or Atlantic Forest, is a global priority for biodiversityconservation. Back in the 16th century, the Mata Atlntica covered most of

the Brazilian coastline, with parts of the biome also located further inland.At the present time, around 12 percent of the biome remains preserved. Itis characterized by an abundance of species of flora and fauna.

Igap Swamp Forest



7/23

Cerrado (Savanna)

The Cerrado biome is formed by a complex set of habitat mosaics and plantvarieties that occupy all of central Brazil. Considered one of the worldsrichest savannas, the Cerrado region represents an estimated 5 percentof all global biodiversity. Scientists have identified around 12,000 plantspecies, of which around 4,400 are exclusive to this biome. The Cerradocurrently covers 24 percent of Brazil and is the primary source of thecountrys water basins.

Caatinga (Tropical Scrub Forest)

Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome located in the Northeasternsemiarid region. Its vegetation is uniquely formed by small woody andherbaceous species, usually carrying thorns, cactuses, and bromeliads. It isestimated that at least 932 plant species have already been registered inthe region, of which 380 are exclusive to this biome. In terms of vertebratefauna, there are 158 species of mammals, 510 species of birds (of which15 are endemic and 20 are endangered), 107 species of reptiles, 49 ofamphibians and 185 types of fish.

Cerrado Vegetation



8/23

Pantanal (Temperate Flooded Grassland)With an area of around 150,000 square-kilometers, Pantanal is characterizedby grass and a low density of trees, mostly distributed in floodplain areas.

It is located in the south of the state of Mato Grosso and the northwestof Mato Grosso do Sul, in the central-west region of Brazil. Pantanal isrecognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site and BiosphereReserve.

Pampa (Grassland)Pampa is a biome characterized by vegetation composed of grasses,

creepers and some trees and bushes found next to waterways. The fieldsof the Pampa biome are an important contribution to the preservation ofbiodiversity, especially for mitigating the effect of greenhouse gases andhelping to control erosion. In the Brazilian section of the biome, around1,964 species of plants were identified, of which approximately 400 aregrasses. There are at least 476 species of birds; 110 species of reptiles; 150species of fish and 102 species of mammals.

Capybara



9/23

Coastal and Marine ZoneThe coastal and marine zone occupies around 3.5 million square-kilometersunder Brazilian jurisdiction. It is one of the longest coastlines in the world.Environmental coastal systems present great diversity, including mangroves,coral reefs, dunes, salt marshes, beaches, rocky shores, lagoons, estuariesand marshes, and numerous species of flora and fauna, many of which areexclusive to the Brazilian coast. Brazil has the largest continuous stretch ofmangroves in the world and the only coral reef environment of the SouthAtlantic.

Paraguai River, Pantanal Biome



10/23


PROGRESS IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

The creation of protected areas, careful monitoring of habitats and species,and enforcement measures to combat deforestation are some of Brazilsmost important efforts to preserve biodiversity. The conservation ofBrazilian biomes helps maintaining ecossystem services that are essentialto life such as adequate rainfall levels, atmospheric regulation, and theprotection of soil and drinking water.

BRAZIL LEADS THE CREATION OF PROTECTED AREAS WORLDWIDE

According to the United Nations Environment Programs Global BiodiversityOutlook 3, Brazil has led in the designation of protected areas worldwideover the last decade:

Nearly 75 percent of the 700,000 square-kilometers of protected areascreated around the world between 2003 and 2008 are located in Brazil.

16.8 percent of Brazils continental area (1.5 million square-kilometers)

and 1.5 percent of its marine area are designated as protected areas up from 8 percent of the terrestrial national territory in 2006.

In the Brazilian Amazon, there are currently 310 protected areas(federal, state, municipal and private) covering 26.14 percent of theregion (1.1 million square-kilometers of forest).

Conservation units by biome

Amazon Caatinga CerradoMata

AtlnticaPampa Pantanal

Area(km2) %

Area(km2) %

Area(km2) %

Area(km2) %

Area(km2) %

Area(km2) %

1.094,094 26,1% 61.859 7,3% 167.415 8,2% 98.562 8,9% 4.827 2,7% 6.600 4,4%

Source: National Conservation Units Registry (CNUC)


11/23


SPOTLIGHT: Amazon Region Protected Areas Program (ARPA)

The Amazon Region Protected Areas Program (Arpa) is an an initiativeled by the Ministry of the Environment which aims to promote theconservation and sustainable use of 60 million ha of forests (18 percentof the Amazon) by 2018. . The Program is funded with resourcesfrom the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the government ofGermany, the WWF network, and the Amazon Fund -- through theBrazilian Development Bank (BNDES). The Program was launched in2002 and was designed to last for 13 years, and implemented in threeindependent and continuous phases. It is one of the largest tropical

forest conservation programs in the world.

Brazil has also recently set in motion the Marine and Coastal ProtectedAreas Project, first national large-scale conservation initiative in themarine environment.


12/23


AMAZON DEFORESTATION RATES REACH RECORD LOW IN 2011

Annual deforestation rates in the Amazon have been falling steadily overthe last seven years, primarily as a result of new government policies andstricter enforcement efforts. In 2011, for the third consecutive year, Brazilregistered the lowest deforestation rate ever recorded since monitoringbegan 24 years ago.

According to Brazils National Institute for Space Research (INPE),deforestation rates in the region dropped 8 percent (to reach 6,418 square-kilometers) in the period between August 2010 and July 2011, a reductionof nearly 77 percent compared to 2004 levels.

Evolution of deforestation rates in the brazilian amazon

Year Rate (Km2)

2000 18,226

2001 18,165

2002 21,651

2003 25,396

2004 27,772

2005 19,014

2006 14,286

2007 11,651

2008 12,911

2009 7,464

2010 7.000

2011 6.418

Source: National Institute for Space Research (INPE)


13/23


SATELLITE MONITORING

Brazils National Institute for Space Research (INPE), tied to the Ministryof Science and Technology, uses satellite imagery to assess the extent andrate of gross deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, a powerful tool tohelp tackle forest destruction in the region. INPE uses different systems tomeasure both annual and near real-time deforestation.

DETER(near-real time deforestation detection)DETER images allows for an estimation of the amount of deforestationand where it is happening each fortnight. The main purpose is to show

the Brazilian Environment Institutes enforcement officials where theyshould go and investigate. DETER images are public and accessible onthe Internet through the DETER webpage.(http://www.obt.inpe.br/deter/cadastro.php) .

PRODES(yearly deforestation rate assessment)PRODES calculates the yearly consolidated deforestation rate in theBrazilian Amazon. The satellites involved (LANDSAT and CD/CBERS)work on an 18 day and 25 day re-visit cycle and provide precise

images, making it possible to detect any deforested area largerthan six hectares. PRODES images are also available on the internet(www.obt.inpe.br/prodes).

Annual assessments have been conducted since 1988. Starting in 2002,these assessments have been based on digital satellite images. The annualdeforestation rate is given for the period 1 August 31 July each year.

The Brazilian government has already started similar monitoring initiativesfor other biomes, generating information to enhance surveillance and lawenforcement actions to reduce deforestation across the country.


14/23

Amazon Forest, near Anavilhanas municipality, Amazonas State


SPOTLIGHT: Action Plan for Preventionand Control of Deforestation of the Amazon

Launched in 2004, the Action Plan for Protection and Control ofDeforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAM) comprises over 200 initiativesinvolving territorial planning in forest areas, including land tenure,monitoring and inspection and the promotion of sustainable andproductive forest management.

The program entered its third phase in 2012 and over the years hascontributed to: A 76.9 percent drop in deforestation ratesmeasured by INPE in theAmazon Creation of 25 million hectaresof conservation units in the Amazon

region Ratification of 10 million hectaresof indigenous lands Approval of new regulations to help prevent the exploitation ofpublic forests


15/23


OTHER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES

With the largest coastlines in the world, Brazil has taken steps to conservethe biological diversity of its coastal and marine areas. These areas featuremangroves, coral reefs, dunes, salt marshes, beaches, rocky shores, lagoons,estuaries, and marshes, all with abundant flora and fauna.

CORALS

Since 2002, Brazil has been part of the International Coral Reef Initiativeof the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN). One of the goalsof the program is to monitor the effectiveness of marine protected areas,such as the Abrolhos Marine National Park in Bahia, and the habitat forbirds and aquatic mammals such as humpback whales. Research centers,universities and civic organizations support this Brazilian initiative, whichcovers an area of about 12,000 square-kilometers.

ACTION PLAN FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROLOF DEFORESTATION IN THE CERRADO

In September 2010, the Brazilian government introduced a similar strategydevised to help the country reach its goal of reducing deforestation in theCerrado biome by 40 percent by the year 2020. The Action Plan for Preventionand Control of Deforestation and Wildfires in Cerrado (PPCerrado) outlines151 actions to significantly reduce the loss of vegetation cover and topromote the protection and sustainable use of natural resources in thebiome.

Among the goals of PPCerrado are to increase the pig iron industrys useof coal from planted forests, and to increase resources for recovery of

degraded areas. Other initiatives include fostering sustainable productionactivities, monitoring and control, territorial planning, environmentaleducation, and the creation of 2.5 million hectares of protected areas.


16/23

COASTLINES

To encourage environmentally-sustainable behavior among touriststraveling along the coast, the government has employed public awarenesscampaigns around beaches and reef environments that have beennegatively impacted by excessive visitation and practices that are unfriendlyto the environment. Tourist destinations such as Jurere Beach in the stateof Santa Catarina in southern Brazil have already received the Blue Flag, acertificate that guarantees a locations environmental quality.

WETLANDS

Brazil is also part of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, anintergovernmental treaty that establishes milestones for internationalcooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of these areas.Wetlands provide ecological benefits to flora and fauna as well as humanpopulations, in addition to regulating the water regime of vast regions.These areas are a source of recreation and play a key role in the climatechange mitigation and adaptation process because they are large carbonreservoirs. There are 11 Ramsar sites in Brazil, including protected areasin the Pantanal, the Amazon, the Cerrado, and coastal areas of the

northeastern and southern regions of Brazil.


Black squirrel monkey


17/23

Community near the Negro River

MANGROVES

Since 2007, Brazil has been developing a project funded by the GlobalEnvironment Facility (GEF) for the conservation and sustainable use ofmangroves. These coastal areas are home to more than 800 species.Mangroves also provide shoreline protection and water qualitymaintenance, and serve as nurseries for the developmental stages of manymarine species.

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

Protected areas along the Brazilian coastline serve as a tool for the

management of fisheries in several regions. By restricting fishing in certainareas, the government ensures the reproduction of species that areimportant to the aquatic environment and serve as food or income forlocal fishermen. One of the best examples of this type of management isthe Mamirau Sustainable Development Reserve in the state of Amazonasin northern Brazil. Thanks to a restriction on the fishing of pirarucu - thelargest fish in the Amazon - it was possible to restore the populations thatwere threatened with extinction due to overharvesting. In addition torepopulating the regions rivers, pirarucu is now protected under the rules

of sustainable management that help conserve the species.



18/23


SPOTLIGHT: Green Grant Program

In order to combine social inclusion with environmental preservation,the federal government has created the Program of Support forEnvironmental Conservation or Green Grant (Bolsa Verde). TheGreen Grant transfers income to families who develop conservationactivities in national forests, extractive reserves and federal sustainabledevelopment areas or forest settlements, among other priority areas. Asa prerequisite for receiving a grant, families need to be living in extremepoverty (income up to R$ 70 per capita) in areas of environmentalrelevance.

Participating families receive a benefit of R$ 300 each quarter and must

sign a term of commitment to the program specifying the activities thatwill be developed in the preservation areas. The commitment is validfor up to two years with the possibility of renewal.

The nine Brazilian states that form the legal Amazon region areparticipating in the initial phase of the Green Grant program. The firstgroup of families began to receive benefits in October 2011.

In 2012, the Bolsa Verde program widened its scope to conservation

units and settlements across Brazil as well as riverside dwellers wholive off the forests in the Amazon region, reaching 28,919 families. Theprogram aims to reach 73,000 families by 2014.

As of September 2012, over R$ 19 million in payments have alreadybeen made to beneficiary families.


19/23


ESTABLISHING BIODIVERSITYTARGETS FOR 2020

In 2012, Brazils Ministry of Environment and civil society partners launchedthe Dialogues on Biodiversity: building the Brazilian strategy for 2020an inclusive process with the main objective of developing the nationaltargets for the Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity for2020.

Five major meetings were held in 2011, in addition to numerous preparation

and qualification meetings, to engage five core sectors of Brazilian society:business; environmental community; academia; government (federal andstate); and indigenous peoples and traditional communities.

During these meetings, the sectors developed proposals for nationalbiodiversity targets based on the 20 Global Biodiversity Targets (AichiTargets) to suit their specific views and needs. All participants were guidedby the need to agree on a streamlined set of targets that could be moreeffectively achieved and monitored.

Following the work carried out in the sectoral meetings, all proposals wereconsolidated into a single document containing proposals for nationalbiodiversity targets for 2020 and intermediate sub-targets to be achievedfrom 2013 to 2017.

This consolidated document was available for public consultation betweenDecember 19, 2011 and January 31, 2012, with the aim of gathering furtherinput from Brazilian society in developing the national biodiversity targets

for 2020, as well as obtaining a critical analysis of the targets alreadyproposed by the sectors consulted.

The proposals submitted by Brazilian Society were reviewed by the NationalBiodiversity Commission (Comisso Nacional de Biodiversidade CONABIO)to shape the final formulation of Brazils national targets. The nationaltargets have not yet been set, and are still under discussion in that forum.


20/23


ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING (ABS)

Brazil was one of the first countries to put in place ten years ago domesticlegislative, administrative and policy measures designed to implement theAccess and Benefit Sharing (ABS) objective at the national level.

As a biologically diverse country, with a rich population of indigenousand local communities holding valuable knowledge about their geneticresources, and significant scientific and technological capacity, Brazil sees a

functioning and fair ABS system as the key to developing new biodiversity-based activities that will generate benefits for the nation, including thefurther conservation and sustainable use of Brazils biological heritage.For this reason Brazil was a vocal advocate for the negotiation of theinternational regime and played a prominent role in its negotiation over sixyears including in the difficult final hours of the negotiations in Nagoyain October 2010, helping to ensure that an agreement was reached and thetext of the Nagoya Protocol adopted.

On World Environment Day (5 June 2012) President Dilma Rousseffsubmitted the Nagoya Protocol for ratification by Brazils National Congress.

What is the Nagoya Protocol?

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing is a new internationaltreaty that builds on and supports the implementation of the Conventionon Biological Diversity (CBD), in particular its third objective, the fairand equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of geneticresources.

Adopted in Nagoya, Japan on 29 October 2010, the Protocol is a landmarkagreement in the international governance of biodiversity. It is the firstmultilateral environment treaty to establish a global trading system forinvestment and research and development on the genetic and biochemical


21/23


make-up of living things. Over time, this treaty can become a key elementin facilitating the growth of a bio-based economy.

The Nagoya Protocol is based on the fundamental principles of access andbenefit-sharing enshrined in the CBD. As we have seen, these principlesinvolve potential users of genetic resources obtaining the prior informedconsent (PIC) of the country in which the genetic resource is located beforeaccessing the resource, and negotiating and agreeing on the terms andconditions of access and use of this resource through the establishmentof mutually agreed terms (MAT). This agreement includes the sharingof benefits arising from the use of the resource with the provider as aprerequisite for access to the genetic resource and its use. Conversely,countries, when acting as providers of genetic resources, should provide

fair and non-arbitrary rules and procedures for access to their geneticresources.

ABS in Brazil

As a provider of genetic resources, Brazil seeks to use this potential wealth to

foster research and development that will build scientific and technologicalcapacity, create wealth, promote sustainable human development, andcontribute to the conservation and sustainable use of its natural capital.

Brazils National Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy 2012 2015aims to make the country a world leader in both biodiversity research andin the sustainable use of biodiversity. It envisions reinvesting a part of therevenues obtained from the commercialization of products and processesderived from Brazils high level of species diversity in the conservation of

its enormous natural assets.

Genetic resources and issues relating to ABS affect many activities andsectors of the economy, from botanical gardens, culture collections andresearch collections, the bio-control industry, seed banks, agriculture/greenbiotech, pharmaceuticals and industrial biotech, cosmetics, horticulture,and the food and beverage sector. However, most collecting activities inthe wild are done by researchers or representatives of collections. There are


22/23


very few commercial users that directly collect in the wild, mainly comingfrom the bio-control industry, the horticultural sector, some niche marketcompanies in the cosmetics sector, and some collection of microorganismsfor research and development in industrial biotechnology.

Brazil is at the same time a user and a provider of genetic resources.Agriculture in the country is based heavily on crops whose center of originis not Brazil coffee originally from the Horn of Africa, sugarcane andrice from Southeast Asia, soybean and oranges from East Asia, wheat fromthe Middle East and Brazils researchers need access to genetic resourcesfrom these centers of origin or international research institutes in order toprotect against crop diseases, improve yields and adapt to the impacts ofclimate change.


23/23

fact-sheet india final

Documents