Brazilian Biomes Environmental Monitoring Program

Access the Strategy of the Environmental Monitoring Program for Brazilian Biomes

The Ministry of the Environment (MMA), through Ordinance No. 365/2015, established the Brazilian Biomes Environmental Monitoring Program to map and monitor the vegetation cover throughout the Brazilian territory. The program focuses on:

i) mapping and monitoring deforestation;

ii) vegetation cover and land use assessment;

iii) fire monitoring; and

iv) vegetation restoration and selective logging.

The Program is ongoing and it is structured in three phases. The first aims to strengthen the monitoring of the Amazon and to establish the monitoring of the Cerrado, during 2016-2017 period. In the second phase the monitoring of the Atlantic Forest will be established, 2016-2017 period. Finally, the monitoring of the Caatinga, the Pampa and the Pantanal will be established in its third phase, 2017-2018 period.

The mapping and monitoring will be performed through real-time and periodic assessments, with data and satellite images that are suitable to the specific characteristics of the topics and biomes addressed.

The technical and scientific coordination of the program is the responsibility of the Technical Coordination Committee composed of representatives of:

a) Ministry of the Environment, a representative of the Secretariat of Climate Change and Environmental Quality and a representative of the Secretariat of Biodiversity and Forests;

b) Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA);

c) National Institute for Space Research (INPE);

d) Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)

The program also has an Advisory Committee to support the Technical Coordination Committee, making recommendations on the accuracy of deliverables, applications in public policy and the deployment of new technologies. This Committee is composed of representatives nominated by the following agencies, entities and non-governmental organizations: Brazilian Forest Service; Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics; Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication; Ministry of Planning, Development and Management; Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply; INPE; Embrapa Semi-Arid; Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; School of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz" of the University of São Paulo; Amazon Institute for Environmental Research; and WWF Brazil.