GEO Brasil - UNEP

A lack of proper environmental
awareness is at the source of the
continued disgraceful plantation
procedures, such as clearing and
burning, which have greatly
contributed to further worsen
desertification in the semi-arid area of
the Northeast Region
Major economic losses have been
reported in the region because of cropinfesting
pests, such as the boll weevil
in cotton crops, which caused 2
million lay-offs and nearly annihilated
this sort of plantation Another major
pest is the so-called “vassoura de
bruxa”, (witch’s broom) which
plagued cocoa crops, particularly in
Bahia State
YEAR 2000 – From July, heavy
precipitation affected the States of Rio
Grande do Norte, Paraiba,
Pernambuco and Alagoas, where
approximately 264,600 in 105
municipalities suffered their impacts
The dry season also affected the
Northeast Region, and water-tank
trucks assisted 94 municipalities:
Sergipe State (10); Rio Grande do
Norte (42); Piaui (31) and Paraiba (11)
(Table 9)
YEAR 2001 – The Northeast was
extensively affected by the dry spell
that was visited on more than 1,000
municipalities during almost the
whole of 2001 As a result, aid
programmes were developed by the
Ministry of National Integration, such
as “Bolsa Renda” (Income
Scholarship), “Bolsa Renda/
Alimentos” (Income/Food
Scholarship) and “Carro-Pipa” (Water-
Tank Truck) (Table 10)
Floods occurred in Ceara the State of
(Fortaleza City had six casualties
during the rains); in October they
occurred in the state of Bahia State
(Catu City); in June in the State of
Pernambuco (Vicencia City); and in
April in the State of Maranhao (Santa
Luzia do Parua City)
Table 10 - Northeast Region - 2001
States Affected in 2001
Affected
Municipalities
Alagoas
Dry season 71 – – 28,000
Bahia
Dry season
Floods
Ceará
dry season
Floods
257
01
136
08
– – 107,304
–
6
–
89
–
95,069
Paraíba
dry season 198 – – 5,069
Pernambuco
dry season
Floods
sea erosion
127
01
02
–
–
–
50,395
183
–
Piauí
dry season 114 – –
Maranhão
Floods
sea erosion
01
01
Deaths Injured Affected people /
Homeless
Rio Grande do Norte
dry season 147 – 25,711
Sergipe
dry season 21 – –
Total 1,085 6 89 503,084
Source: State Coordinations of Civil Defence - CEDEC (only those notified to SEDEC/MI)
Coastal erosion (sea encroachment) also took place in the State of Pernambuco,
in the municipalities of Paulista and Jaboatao dos Guararapes in August and
May respectively, and in the state of Maranhão´s municipality of Humberto de
Campos in August
The Income Scholarship Programme benefited over one million families – each
family was granted R$6000 per month, from August to December In November
and December, the Income/Food Scholarship Programme was established This
–
–
15
–
the state of the environment in Brazil
165