In June 2020, inspectors from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) carried out an operation to combat deforestation in conservation units in the interior of Pará. Guided by satellite images that showed flashes where there should be forest, they went into the field with vehicles, trucks, and a helicopter.
The weather conditions, however, were a surprise factor on the day of the operation. Amazonian rain showers left roads impassable. One of the trucks got stuck in the mud, and they were unable to reach one of the areas where illegal deforestation had been found. As there was no flagrant incident, the operation report, drawn up days later, stated that the person responsible for deforesting that stretch of the Amazon was “unknown”.
The word appears frequently in documents from ICMBio, the agency responsible for managing and protecting federal conservation areas. Official data organized by the Data Fixers project shows that, since 2009 (the first year with statistics available), almost 1,400 areas have been embargoed for environmental infractions without the culprit being identified by the government. Last year, 29% of embargoes on conservation units were registered without names. When considering only units located in the Amazon, the proportion rises to 47%.
The embargo is a policy considered effective by environmentalists and played an important role in reducing deforestation in the Amazon between 2004 and 2012. It allows the government, informed by satellite images and field inspection, to quickly create obstacles for those who cut down the forest. The person who deforested the land is prevented from obtaining bank credit to produce in that area, for example. Furthermore, they are obliged to stop their activities (cattle farming, soybean plantation, etc.), pay a fine for the infraction and regenerate the forest.
There is no punishment for the offender, however, if the government cannot identify them. Today, this is one of the main bottlenecks in the fight against deforestation in Brazil.
This story was produced with support from Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in Revista Piauí on April 15, 2024. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: The Brazilian Amazon / Credit: Nathalia Segato via Unsplash.
Luiz Fernando Toledo
