Investing for future generations

Fatma – The Environmental Foundation – a Santa Catarina Government entity, is in charge of promoting biodiversity, and works with the management of state conservation units, the monitoring of natural resources, in research and recuperation programs and environmental licensing. Fatma’s activities include cooperation with other local institutions, international financing entities like the World Bank and IDB (Interamerican Development Bank) and partnerships with local university research groups.

By the end of the year, 6 million Euros will be invested in the protection of the Catarinense Rain Forest, through a program with the KFW (Kreditanstalff fur Wideraufbau – German Financial Cooperation) Since 1994, another German institution, the GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation) has been participating in the Management Program for Water Resources in Babitonga Bay, in the region of Joinville, with an investment of 4.8 million German Marks. The program has contributed by increasing the efficiency of environmental licensing and the supply of data for management systems and for the training of technicians to promote the methodology to other regions in the State.

Santa Catarina has been working in association with the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA), to recover the environment in the southern region through the mapping of areas damaged by coal mining activities, water quality assessment and the creation of guidelines for environmental management. Based on this study, Fatma arranged the financing through the IDB of US$ 750 thousand to improve the environmental management of the running mining activities and the strengthening of environmental protection entities.

The National Environment Program has US$ 600 thousand available for investment in Santa Catarina. Its objective is to reinforce, through monitoring and environmental licensing, the adoption of sustainable practices between sectors whose activities have an impact on the environment. By 2008, another US$ 107.5 million will be invested in Microbasins II. This Project should cover 879 microbasins – 52% of the existing hydrographic units – and attend to the needs of 105 thousand families. Priority will be given to the small farmer who earns up to two minimum salaries per month and the indigenous communities.

The Santa Catarina Public Ministry has been developing environmental programs together with Fatma and other regional and state institutions. One notable project is the program called Our Daily Garbage. Over the last years the question as to the final destination of garbage in the state has been practically resolved – the number of municipalities which have suitable facilities for the treatment of waste, has jumped from 37 (12.6%) to 241 (82.3%).