O
encontro da Associação para Biologia Tropical e Conservação (ATBC) conseguiu agregar cientistas de 48 nações diferentes, tivemos
oportunidade de conversar com pesquisadores da Indonésia, Honduras,
França, EUA, México, África do Sul, foi incrível!
E
a discussão sobre as questões ambientais foi de alto nível, recomendo
fortemente que voces leiam a postura e resumo da ópera da ATBC e do ATBC
2012 nessa carta abaixo. Que ela nos sirva de diretriz e inspiração, para que
cada um na sua ética de profissional lute pelos seus ideais.
Além disso, tivemos um Simpósio sobre morcegos em tributo a Elizabeth Kalko, uma grande bat-cientista que se foi no ano passado. Nesse simpósio tive a honra de conhecer nada menos do que Theodore Fleming e de me deparar com trabalhos muito nteressantes!
Em breve coloco mais novidades! Até Breve!
| The Bonito Declaration |  |
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| Posted 22 June 2012 |
Urgent Need for Continued Improvement in Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development in Brazil
At the same time as it hosts the United Nations Earth Summit, Rio+20,
Brazil is also hosting the largest ever gathering of tropical
biologists. Brazil's success in advancing science and conservation,
while achieving impressive economic growth and significant improvements
in human welfare are being watched by the world as a potential model for
environmentally sustainable development.
Brazil's international leadership is reflected in its significant
investment in science and education, development of sophisticated and
transparent systems for monitoring forest cover in the Amazon region,
increased involvement of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making over
their own lands and resources, and the expanded network of conservation
areas and officially designated indigenous lands. These and other
policies have led to dramatic reductions in deforestation rates in the
Brazilian Amazon.
Whilst significant progress has been made, it is critical that
momentum be maintained to halt the loss and degradation of Brazil's
globally unique ecosystems.
Therefore, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), the world's largest organisation dedicated to the study and conservation of tropical ecosystems, bringing together at the 2012 annual meeting 607 Brazilian and 604 international scientists representing 48 nations, RESOLVED TO:
URGE INCREASED EFFORTS to protect Brazil's ecosystems from ongoing loss and degradation.
Continued reductions in deforestation and improved protection of the
Amazon forest remain an urgent priority. Even where habitat clearance
has declined or stopped, the synergistic impacts of unsustainable
logging, unplanned agriculture, uncontrolled fires, road expansion, and
extreme droughts threaten the integrity of even large areas of remaining
forest.
Outside of the legal Amazon, many of Brazil's globally important
ecosystems, including the Atlantic forest, cerrado, caatinga, pantanal,
and pampas grasslands, as well as freshwater and marine systems, have
been neglected, and have inadequate legal protection. There is a need to
expand on initial land use mapping efforts in these systems to
establish regular transparent monitoring efforts and make available to
the public and scientists information on the loss of these ecosystems.
CALL FOR RENEWED AND CAREFUL CONSIDERATION of the impact of three new environmental policy developments:
The building of dams on tropical rivers, including the Belo Monte project and the new proposal for dams on the Tapajós River, will have severe impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and on the people that depend on them. Dams will also significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions at a time when efforts to curb global warming are reaching a critical juncture.
We urge investigation of and investment in less environmentally
damaging forms of development and technology that meet growing energy
needs while avoiding the major social and environmental impacts of large
dam projects. We further urge an increase in the rigor and transparency
with which scientific information is considered and utilized in the
planning of all dam projects.
The demarcation and implementation of Conservation Units and
Indigenous Lands would be threatened by changes in the effective process
by which lands are planned and formally agreed. Lack of formal
recognition and demarcation of Indigenous lands endangers both
indigenous livelihoods and the provision of critical ecosystem services.
We urge careful consideration of the ultimate impacts on human
wellbeing, biodiversity conservation and the provision of environmental
services of any proposed legislative changes relating to protected
areas.
Proposed changes to the Forest Code, if enacted, would lead to a further loss of forest and biodiversity.
We urge a reconsideration of the changes to the Code.
Each of these proposed changes to legislation imperils the
international standing of Brazil as a global leader in environmental
protection.
CALL FOR MORE EFFECTIVE USE of the wealth of scientific capacity and
resources available in Brazil to develop evidence-based policy.
Brazil has shown both vision and leadership in investing in higher
education and research, and now boasts world-class institutes and
scientists in many areas of scientific endeavour. Experience in the
Amazon of investing in remote sensing technologies and making data
publically available has been central to setting and meeting of targets
for reducing deforestation.
We urge that the same vision is extended to other ecosystems to
ensure long-term environmentally sustainable stewardship. New mechanisms
are needed to ensure that vital scientific information is incorporated
into decision-making processes from the start.
BRAZIL CONSOLIDATES AND STRENGTHENS its position as a global leader in the conservation and sustainable development.
In the wake of the promises and commitments made at the Rio+20
summit, renewed efforts are needed to coordinate and scale-up efforts
across science, public engagement and policy to protect Brazil's unique
natural heritage for this and future generations.
22 June 2012, Bonito, MS, Brazil.
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