Federal Government expands Pantanal wildfires taskforce

Brazilian Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva announced additional firefighters for the Pantanal region this Monday (June 24), following the second meeting of the Situation Room to combat deforestation, wildfires and burnings in the Pantanal and Amazon regions.

The Pantanal operation currently has deployed 175 firefighters from IBAMA (the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), 40 from ICMBio (the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation) and 53 from the Navy. Professionals from governmental and private fire services have been deployed. According to Marina Silva, this cooperation is key to facing the climate emergency.

"We will have an additional 50 fire brigade members from IBAMA, 60 more from the National Security Force and more from IBAMA will be mobilized and hired as needed. We had to change the regulatory framework to reduce the six-month waiting period for new hiring," said the minister.

Marina Silva stressed that several ministries have joined the fire containment effort in Pantanal by pooling resources to ensure an efficient and coordinated response. "In the Amazon, the draught demands logistics and supply efforts. In Pantanal, it is all about logistics and fires. Because we are facing one of the worst situations we have ever seen in Pantanal. The entire Paraguay basin is under severe water scarcity. We haven’t reached the normal water level. We did not have any interval between El Niño and La Niña. And this left a large quantity of organic matter on the ground ready for combustion, which is causing wildfires beyond the curve compared with anything we have ever seen", she alerted.

VISIT AND BUDGET — Next Friday (28), Ministers Marina Silva and Simone Tebet (Planning and Budget) will arrive in Corumbá, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, one of the municipalities with the most fires. "Our work is coordinated with the local governments and we are going to take a firsthand look at the situation we have been monitoring daily. There will be no shortage of resources, managed responsibly, to save the world's largest floodplain," said Tebet, highlighting that BRL 100 million (approximately USD 18.35 million) have already been secured for the Environment Ministry and are currently being allocated through IBAMA and ICMBio.

"The ministries are presenting the necessary costs so that we can make our first deliberation at the Budget Execution Board on Wednesday (June 26)", she announced. According to Tebet, the fact that the state of Mato Grosso do Sul declared an emergency in these municipalities on Monday allows the Federal Government to invest responsibly what is required to control the situation. 

“Our work is coordinated with the local governments and we are going to take a firsthand look at the situation we have been monitoring daily. There will be no shortage of resources, managed responsibly, to save the world's largest floodplain" — SIMONE TEBET, Minister of Planning and Budget

After the meeting, the Environment minister pointed out that 85% of the fires are located in private properties. "We have great responsibility over the federal Conservation Units. However, the Federal Government is currently combating 20 of the 27 largest wildfires, even though they are not under our competence. Because fires are neither just state or municipal issues, they destroy life and cause economic, social and environmental losses," stated Marina Silva.

State governments have prohibited controlled burnings until the end of the year, including for pasture renewal. “Those responsible for any accidental or criminal fire in Pantanal will be held accountable under the law. This is as important as having a budget," stated the Planning minister.

"Facing this is very important, as it requires even more synergy between the Federal and state governments and civil society, because over 90% of the areas burning in Pantanal correspond to [vegetation] suppression, consequently, to burnings, even after the governments have prohibited any such actions in 2024," pointed out Integration and Regional Development minister Waldez Góes.

LOGISTICS — The Defense Ministry is acting to improve logistical support in the region, transporting fire brigade members to strategic areas. "Two main bases were established so that fire brigade members and firefighters can be deployed and act quickly and efficiently against the fires," explained Squadron Admiral Renato Rodrigues de Aguiar Freire, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. The government is considering the implementation of a forward deployment base at the Transpantaneira highway to streamline logistics and deploy combatants closer to the fire outbreaks.

In addition to vessels for river transportation, the Ministry provided six helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft. "One of them is the KC-390, a state-of-the-art Brazilian aircraft with firefighting capabilities via a water-dispensing mechanism that can carry up to 10,000 liters of water per flight and can be very effective in these firefighting operations. We are also making ourselves available to support the combatants at the designated bases so that we can employ them efficiently, including communication command and control equipment," observed the admiral.

The Justice minister is also part of the Pantanal fire taskforce. "In addition to providing personnel and aircraft for fire control, they are conducting intelligence work to ensure that all criminals who cause fires are duly investigated and punished," concluded Minister Marina Silva.

The following officials attended the meeting: Minister Marina Silva (MMA); Minister Simone Tebet (MPO); Miriam Belchior (Office of the Chief of Staff); Minister Waldez Góes (MIDR), Laércio Portela (SECOM); Wolnei Wolff, National Secretary of Civil Protection and Defense; representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services; IBAMA; and ICMBio.