Brazil (Part VIII, English version) - Convention on Biological Diversity

First national report for the <strong>Convention</strong> on Biological Diversity - BRAZILsoils and climate conditions in the country; selection ofRhizobium strains to increase productivity of Mimosa andAcacia; mass production of nematodes for biological control;ecological zoning for forest plantations; methodologies forthe use of urban and industrial waste for fertilising eucalyptus(with an increase in up to 92% in timber yield above nonfertilisedtrees); methods for the use of residues from paperand pulp factories, such as ash; use of sewage; software tohelp the producer in genetic improvement; software formanagement decisions in the timing and methods of thinningfor maximum productivity.The Centre for Agroforestry Research of the EasternAmazon (Centro Nacional de Pesquisa Agroflorestal daAmazônia Oriental - CPATU) is developing systems for forestand agroforest production specifically for the easternAmazon, alternatives for the production of food, and woodand non-wood products, taking into account theconservation and maintenance of the tropical ecosystems.Some of the key activities of this centre are:• Development of production systems for plantedforests;• Development of sustainable management for naturalforests;• Development of agroforestry systems.Forming the basis of its research programme, EMBRAPAhas 15 national programmes in the different areas ofagriculture, cattle-breeding and agroforestry. The followingare particularly important for biodiversity:The Programme for Natural Resources: Assessment,Management and Recovery (Programa de Recursos Naturais- Avaliação, Manejo e Recuperação) organises systematicinformation on natural resources pertinent to agriculture andcattle-breeding, besides promoting research on theirconservation, use and management. The Programme for theConservation and Use of Genetic Resources (Programa deConservação e Uso de Recursos Genéticos) promotes theuse, diversity and conservation of native and non-nativegenetic resources, specifically for sustainable agriculture.The Programme for the Development of Basic Research inBiotechnology provides support for basic research onbiological pest control and the application of biotechnologyin agriculture. It also supports the development of molecularmarkers in forestry, allowing for biodiversity assessment inprotected areas. The Environmental Quality Programme (Programade Qualidade Ambiental) develops methods for theevaluation and management of environmental impacts andthe sustainability of agriculture systems. Finally, the Forestand Agroforestry Production Systems Programme (ProgramaSistemas de Produção Florestal e Agroflorestal) combinesa number of projects related to the rational managementof natural forests and management systems for plantedforests, seeking, above all, to conserve forest resources.3.1.8. Profile and the Role of EnvironmentalAgencies in <strong>Brazil</strong>Governmental and non governmental institutionsconcerned with the environment have played an importantpart in the progress obtained in the field of conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity.A clear picture of the role of these institutions wasprovided in a survey carried out in 1995 and 1996 byresearchers from the Institute of Higher Religious Studies(Instituto Superior de Estudos Religiosas - ISER), the NationalCouncil for Scientific and Technological Development (ConselhoNacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico- CNPq) and the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UniversidadeEstadual do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ).In 1992, another institution, Mater Natura, produced aregister of 1,891 environmental institutions. In the 1995/1996survey, 985 institutions of the Mater Natura registerresponded to a questionnaire, along with some institutionsestablished after 1992. Of these 725 (73.6%) were nongovernmental and the remainder (26.4%) governmental (Figure3-2).Of the institutions that answered the questionnaire, only39.2% were more than ten years-old. Most of them had beenfounded from 1991 onwards. In the years leading to the UNConference on Environment and Development (UNCED) inRio de Janeiro, as well as in 1992, there was an upsurge in thenumber of institutions being created, followed, however, bya progressive decline. Only 1.6% of the institutions had beenfounded less than two years previously (Figure 3-3). Of thegovernmental institutions, however, 35% had beenestablished before 1980 (as opposed to 9% of nongovernmental organisations).Most of the institutions are concentrated in the southeast,economically the most developed region, (Table 3-1).In terms of biomes, many governmental and nongovernmentalinstitutions are concentrated in the Atlantic Forest andassociated areas (Table 3-2). There are probably two reasonsfor this: the high human population density of the regionand the fact that, together with the Cerrado, this is <strong>Brazil</strong>’smost threatened biome. One of the most common themes forthese institutions is biodiversity conservation (70.1% of theinstitutions, Table 3-3). When biodiversity conservation iscombined with protected areas (51.7% of institutions) andthe protection of forests (73.6%), it is evident that the majorityof these institutions work with species and natural ecosystemconservation. There is, however, also a large number ofinstitutions concerned with urban environmental problems:125