Ms. Silva expressed her concern about Brazilian biomes at a press conference after an event celebrating World Environment Day at the Planalto Palace.

“We have been working on the consequences of these climate events linked to natural phenomena in the Pantanal. The Pantanal did not reach its flood quota. The National Water Agency (ANA) declared, on the 13th, a critical water situation throughout the Paraguay River basin. This is the first time it has happened,” she pointed out. “The effects of rainfall we are seeing now in Rio Grande do Sul we will likely see in drought in the Amazon and the Pantanal. Just like we saw landslides and floods as a consequence of the rains, we will see a terrible phenomenon of fires and burning.”

According to her, the ministry is trying to secure “extraordinary resources and means” to mitigate the effects of the upcoming drought.

“Also, we will see a severe drought in Rio Grande do Sul, as we have in the Northeast region and the caatinga,” she added.

On Wednesday (5), during the event, the federal government signed an agreement with the governments of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and the states comprising Brazil’s Legal Amazon to combat forest fires in the Amazon and Pantanal. The pact defines actions such as setting priority areas for preservation and combating fires, sharing of resources and equipment, and monitoring. There will also be an extension of the period when slash-and-burn in crops is prohibited, traditionally from July 1st to October 31st. The restriction will be extended until November 30th in the Amazon and December 31st in the Pantanal.

Ms. Silva announced a 12.9% drop in deforestation in the Cerrado between January and May this year, compared to the same period in 2023. However, she said there is no reason to celebrate.

“It’s too early to say anything. We cannot remain inert before the result we achieved or adopt an apologetic stance to initial signals. While we are not denialists, we cannot be deceivers either. The worst type of deceiving is deceiving ourselves,” Ms. Silva said. “It’s too early to say this would be a lasting trend.”

Ms. Silva pointed out that much of the deforestation in the Cerrado occurs under the law, as the Brazilian Forest Code requires only a 20% legal reserve on land properties. The number is the opposite of what happens in the Amazon, where landowners must preserve 80% of the area.

“In the Cerrado, a large part of deforestation is permitted. Part of that, around 50%, is against the law, and the federal environmental agency IBAMA can act,” Ms. Silva said. “We are raising awareness [on the matter] as the removal of this forest cover is leading to severe environmental damage, with a reduction in the flow of rivers and groundwater.”

As part of this work to raise awareness, Chief of Staff Rui Costa called on the governors of states located in the biome area to form a pact in favor of the Cerrado. The idea of this pact emerged given the realization that it would be hard to change the Forest Code, due to the strength of agribusiness in the Parliament. The Cerrado region concentrates most of the country’s grain production.

Despite the drop in the first months of this year, deforestation in the biome increased by 43.6% in 2023. With no direct mention of the Forest Code, Ms. Silva emphasized the matter in her speech at the event in the Planalto Palace. “We see an increase in deforestation in the Cerrado, which is a big challenge. Our big challenge is that, in the Cerrado area, there is permission to deforest 80%. The problem is that legislation allows it, while nature won’t support it.”