Government allocates BRL 514 million to tackle forest fires

On Wednesday (Sep. 18), the Brazilian government is starting to allocate an extraordinary credit of BRL 514 million to deal with forest fires and other effects of the drought spreading across the country. These funds are part of the special budget for tackling climate change, authorized by the Supreme Court.

The announcement was made by the president’s Chief of Staff Rui Costa and Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva, accompanied by President Lula, Supreme Court Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, head of the Senate Rodrigo Pacheco, and lower house speaker Arthur Lira during a meeting on Tuesday (17) to discuss strategies to combat wildfires.

According to the chief of staff’s office, part of the funds will be allocated to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to reinforce monitoring and combating fires. With the extra money, the environmental institutes will be able to hire firefighters and rent vehicles and aircraft, for instance.

The Federal Police and the National Public Security Force are also being given extra resources to reinforce investigations and the repression of environmental crime. The money will also be distributed to the Armed Forces for support operations to extinguish the flames. Another portion will be earmarked for the purchase of food for families in the North, affected by the low water levels.

President Lula, Supreme Court Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, head of the Senate Rodrigo Pacheco, and lower house speaker Arthur Lira during a meeting to discuss strategies to combat wildfires - Ricardo Stuckert/PR

The funds will be used in partnership with the states and municipalities, the chief of staff went on to report. The federal government plans to meet with all Brazil’s 27 governors Thursday (19) to hear their demands.

Later this week, he said, the government should issue another provisional measure to simplify the release of resources from the Amazon Fund by development bank BNDES.

A dedicated council

Minister Marina Silva said that the government is currently discussing proposals to create a National Climate Security Council and a Plan for the Prevention of Extreme Climate Effects.

The council, she said, suggested by President Lula, would play an important role in bringing together different sectors of society and presenting recommendations so that “more than mitigating, more than adapting and preparing, we can transform our country,” she added.