BNDES to allocate BRL 43M to protect Brazil’s oceanic islands
The Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) announced on Monday (Jun. 2) an investment of BRL 40 million to preserve the biodiversity of Brazil’s oceanic islands. The initiative is part of the BNDES Blue project.
The BNDES Biodiversity—Islands of the Future, Protected Nests credit line will projects focused on restoring and protecting breeding habitats for seabirds and migratory birds on oceanic islands.
According to Tereza Campello, the BNDES’s Socio-Environmental Director, one of the project’s objectives is to combat invasive rodent species that prey on bird nests on the islands.
“Brazil has several islands that are part of our natural heritage but are now at risk due to various threats. Some of the bird species inhabiting these islands are vulnerable and endangered,” she said.
Non-profit organizations with projects valued at a minimum of BRL 5 million are eligible to apply for this call for proposals. BNDES may cover up to 50 percent of the cost of each approved project.
The bank expanded the BNDES corals credit line by BRL 43 million to reef restoration projects in various regions of the country. Some of the organizations with projects already selected include WWF, Funbio, José Bonifácio Foundation, RedeMar, the Reef Conservation Project, and AEPTEC-BA
During the first phase of BNDES corals project, BRL 45 million was allocated to reef restoration.
“This is the most threatened ecosystem in the oceans, and it is vital for all marine life, fish farming, and the development of ocean biodiversity. We are therefore seeking to improve the quality of the water in the basins that feed the corals, combat predatory fishing, generate alternative income for local communities, and organize community tourism,” said Aloizio Mercadante, president of BNDES.
Mapping
On Monday, the bank also signed a BRL 12 million contract to conduct Maritime Spatial Planning (PEM) studies of the southeast coast, which includes the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Espírito Santo.
The purpose of the PEM is to map the entire Brazilian coastline, fulfilling a commitment Brazil made at the UN Ocean Conference in 2017. The government’s goal is to complete the mapping of all regions by 2030, thereby consolidating PEM as a national public policy.
“Countries have an obligation to map and plan their territories to understand what resources exist in their marine areas, to carry out comprehensive mapping based on scientific research, and to identify the wealth, minerals, potential, and risks these territories hold,” said Tereza Campello.
The PEM for the South (which encomes the coastlines of the region’s three states) and the Northeast (which includes the entire coastline from Bahia to Piauí, as well as the islands of Fernando de Noronha and São Pedro and São Paulo) are already underway.
BNDES also announced the consortium selected to carry out the PEM for the northern coast, spanning from Maranhão to Amapá. This region holds significant potential for oil production; however, environmentalists are concerned that exploration could threaten local wildlife.
“Strictly speaking, this should be done regardless of any debate about the equatorial margin or exploration, as we are already doing in the south of the country, where progress is well advanced. This is an obligation Brazil has toward international organizations,” said Campello.
