UGD under the coordination of the binational hydroelectric plant is a pioneering experience by Unesco and brings together several institutions around the sustainable management of the Atlantic Forest biome in the region
Itaipu Binacional started, yesterday morning (July 14), the implementation of the first Decentralized Management Unit (UGD) in the world, of the program Man and the Biosphere, of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). Activities began with a presentation meeting, followed by online training for nominees to the collegiate bodies of institutions that will form part of the Consultative Forum in Support of the UGD.
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First Decentralized Management Unit (UGD) in the world will be installed on the 27th of July at Usina Itaipu, the huge hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River, between Brazil and Paraguay
The official installation of the UGD will take place on the 27th of July, when the members of the Forum will be sworn in and the regulations and action plan documents will be ratified by the National Council of the Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve. The GUD of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, under the coordination of Itaipu, covers an area of more than 860 thousand hectares and includes, mainly, the Paraná River Basin Part 3. The Bela Vista Biological Refuge, maintained by Itaipu, is considered an Advanced Post of the Reserve.
The UGD Support Consultative Forum is made up of 10 governmental and 10 non-governmental members, including ICMBio (responsible for the national parks of Ilha Grande and Iguaçu); educational institutions such as Unila, UEMS and UDC; environmental agencies (Water and Land Institute – IAT); representatives of municipalities (Council of Lindeiros and Amop), tourism (Parque das Aves e Cataratas S/A) and farmers (Biolare); NGOs (Mater Natura and Center for the Support and Promotion of Agroecology); in addition to the Itaipu Technological Park (PTI).
Generals João Francisco Ferreira (Brazilian director general of Itaipu) and Luiz Felipe Carbonell (director of Coordination) participated in the opening of the event. Ferreira highlighted the fact that Itaipu is a company whose activities go far beyond power generation, including the sustainability of the territory. The UGD, according to him, is part of the consolidation of a vanguard environmental management model.
The first UGD of the Biosphere Reserve in the world will improve natural resources by increasing water and energy security, benefiting Brazil and Paraguay
“The UGD will further improve the management of natural resources in this territory, with a focus on conservation and sustainable development, increasing water security and consequently energy security, benefiting Brazil and Paraguay and, mainly, the municipalities of Western Paraná”, assured the director.
Biosphere Reserve areas are implemented by governments and endorsed by Unesco. Management is exercised with the support of collegiate managers made up equally between governmental and non-governmental representatives. The experience of having a company manage an area that is part of a Biosphere Reserve, under the seal of the United Nations (UN), is unique on the planet.
The UGD is a new instance in the management system and has a certain independence from the rest of the Biosphere Reserve to carry out the work that will be coordinated by Itaipu. “We are starting a new management model for large forest reserves. It is a novelty that comes at a special time, given that Unesco's Man and the Biosphere program is celebrating its 50th anniversary. And it is worth noting that the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve (RBMA) is the largest in the world network”, said the president of the RBMA, Clayton Lino.
From the implementation of the Forum, Itaipu will coordinate the work for four years. The company will be represented by forestry engineer Luís César Rodrigues da Silva, from the Protected Areas Division, who will also act as Forum coordinator.
The first UGD of the Biosphere Reserve in the world is an important innovation and will allow discussing the future of the region in a sustainable way
The performance of the UGD will be aligned with the promotion of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (supporting positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, metropolitan and rural areas, strengthening national and regional development) and in accordance with the premises of the program Man and the Biosphere: focus on conservation of natural resources, sustainable development and promotion of scientific knowledge and traditional knowledge of the region. For this, it had the support of 20 invited institutions that, last Wednesday (14), underwent training.
One of the objectives of the Forum is to work so that the municipalities that make up the territory of the UGD prepare and implement their Municipal Plans for the Atlantic Forest, in line with the guidelines of the national, regional and local territorial management instruments, aligned with the principles of the Biosphere Reserve and Itaipu's strategic objectives for water security.
“The UGD is an important innovation and will make it possible to discuss the future of the region in a sustainable way, contributing to an integrated management of the Triple Frontier area, with positive effects on tourism and economic development”, concluded Itaipu’s superintendent of Environmental Management, Ariel Scheffer da Silva.
