Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office Recommends Suspension of Licensing for Oil Exploration at the Amazon River Mouth
BNDES launches SER Corals in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, a project to monitor and restore shallow reefs, covering the cities of Maxaranguape, Rio do Fogo and Touros. The initiative, with approximately US$ 1.05 million from the Socio-Environmental Fund, will last 36 months and includes scientific dives, training, technical workshops and support for sustainable economic activities. (BNDES)
Brazilian Association of Technical Standards calls for public consultation on bio-polyethylene until March 9. The initiative, part of the Green Seal Brazil Program of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, seeks contributions from companies, experts and civil society to define environmental, social and governance criteria for the production of renewable-source ethylene polymers, primarily derived from sugarcane. (ABNT; MDIC)
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office recommends suspending oil licensing in the Amazon Delta and conducting a joint analysis of the four wells planned in the FZA-M-59 block. The agency warns that Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil company, omits the drilling of three additional wells and that seismic surveys are proceeding without complete data, undermining transparency and the assessment of socio-environmental impacts. (MPF; Ibama)
Technical reports from the Mato Grosso do Sul Environmental Institute indicate siltation, reduced groundwater recharge and declining water levels in the springs of the Mimoso River, in Bonito, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, associated with the presence of the European wild boar (Sus scrofa). The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Mato Grosso do Sul has requested, within 30 days, detailed information from the state and municipal authorities about control, monitoring and environmental restoration actions. (MPMS)
A Bill grants amnesty for environmental infractions applied to farmers in the State of Acre until December 2024 by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. The proposal requires beneficiaries to be registered in the Rural Environmental Registry, participate in the Environmental Regularization Program, and commit to restoring vegetation or compensating for environmental damage. Disproportionate fines may be reviewed and essential activities and access to credit are suspended during participation. Noncompliance results in loss of amnesty and reinstatement of sanctions. (Brazilian Lower House of Congress)
The Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Minas Gerais was prevented from entering the Vale’s Fábrica and Viga mines in the cities of Ouro Preto and Congonhas. The visit aimed to assess safety conditions following tailings spills that occurred in January, for which the company had already been penalized. Vale cited the need for adjustments and proposed rescheduling. (ALMG)
The São Paulo City Hall has launched a pilot project to assess the health of trees within municipal parks using tomography and a resistograph to generate images of the trees’ internal structure, issuing technical reports within two days. Tree selection prioritizes old, large, or fitosanitary-compromised specimens. The project complements the Urban Tree Inventory, which uses LIDAR technology to map trees along public streets and guide their management. (SVMA)
The Brazilian Lower House of Congress is analyzing Bill 6303/25, which proposes the creation of the National Forest Guardians Platform, a public digital system to receive and track reports of deforestation and other environmental crimes, with a focus on the Legal Amazon Region. The proposal includes an app allowing photo submissions and georeferencing, as well as a real-time dashboard for enforcement agencies. (Brazilian Lower House of Congress)
Latin America
A new scientific publication titled “Propagation of Native Plants of Central Chile” compiles over 30 years of research on the reproduction, conservation, and use of native plant species from central Chile. The book was collaboratively developed by INIA La Platina, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Mayor, and the Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CEAS). Available at: https://biblioteca.inia.cl/items/a338206f-6849-44f5-bcca-b2a380157317. (INIA)
The Government of Peru approved an additional economic grant to strengthen the conservation of Amazon region forests in 10 Indigenous communities in the Ucayali region. The measure authorizes the Ministry of the Environment, through the National Forest Conservation Program for Climate Change Mitigation, to allocate up to US$ 540,000 in additional resources in 2026. (Minam)
The Ministry of Environment of Peru approved the Action Plan for the National Biodiversity Strategy through 2030, an instrument that guides the sustainable management of the country’s natural capital in the coming years. Peru now joins the group of nations with a strategy and plan aligned with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. (Minam)
The Council of Ministers for Sustainability and Climate Change of Chile has declared the Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) a Natural Species Monument to enhance its protection. The measure safeguards this endemic species of the Humboldt Current in both terrestrial and marine environments, whether inside or outside protected areas. (MMA)
The Ministry of the Environment of Peru approved the registration of an agreement under the Mechanism for the Compensation of Ecosystem Services to protect water resources in the region of La Libertad. The initiative, signed with the sanitation company EPS SEDALIB, provides for the restoration of the Bosque de Cachil and the strengthening of vegetation cover through reforestation, monitoring and conservation actions across more than 600 hectares. The estimated investment for 2021–2026 is approximately US$ 1.26 million. (Minam)
The Ministry of the Environment of Peru installed the national steering committee for the project “Restoration of High-Andean Ecosystems in Peru”, which plans to recover 44,877 hectares of degraded land and will benefit 7,234 people in the regions of Junín, Lima and Pasco. The initiative, with an investment of more than US$ 73 million through 2031, is supported by the Fondo para el Medio Ambiente Mundial. (Minam)
