The 5th phase of the PPCDAm, a plan first launched in 2004, presents four axes for containing advancing deforestation from 2023 to 2027. The project will depend on 13 ministries for its execution and will serve as the base for achieving the goal of zero deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.

The new Action Plan for Deforestation Prevention and Control in the Legal Amazon, AKA the PPCDAm, was announced on Monday (10) marking the first 100 days of management under Brazil’s new istration. Its updated features include a focus on intelligence to assist in remote tracking and repression of environmental crimes and their production chains, investment in the bioeconomy and territorial planning of undesignated public forests, critical deforestation areas.

In his third term, President Lula (PT) has the goal of achieving zero deforestation by 2030 and, as such, this plan is fundamental. Between 2004 and 2012, the PPCDAm was responsible for the historic 83% decrease in deforestation in the region during its first three phases. The draft version is in public consultation and open to suggestions from all of civil society, researchers and non-governmental organizations for a period of 15 days (until April 25).

Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, on April 10, 2023

Four main axises

The new PPCDAm anticipates actions in four axes: sustainable productive activities, environmental monitoring and control, territorial and land planning and normative and economic instruments. There are 12 general objectives and 36 expected results, broken down into 176 lines of action.

In the original plan from 2004, the actions were distributed among 17 ministries. The new PPCDAm now anticipates actions by 13 federal cabinets led by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), currently headed by Marina Silva, just as it was at that time. Above the MMA is the Civil Cabinet, which coordinates activities through the Permanent Interministerial Commission for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation.

The structure was instituted along with the “environmental revocation” issued by the new istration on January 1st, which, at once, reactivated the Amazon Fund, the PPCDAm itself and the PPCerrado, the National Environment Fund (FNMA), annulling the decree in favor of mining in public and protected areas, reorganizing the process for environmental fines and sanctions and reinstating the National Council of the Environment (Conama).

In an interview with InfoAmazonia, João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of the MMA, the number two position at the ministry, pointed out the strengths of the new version from the government’s point of view: axes 1 (sustainable productive activities) and 4 (normative and economic instruments).

“These two axes hold a lot of weight in the plan, in ing and accelerating this transition in model,” he said. “The inspection and control axis (2) is essential, of course, and it’s already being implemented. The most recent numbers from Ibama of increased inspections, seizures and embargoes are high and they are taking place, such as the removal of intruders in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in Roraima – which is happening with from the reactivated Amazon Fund. In other words, [the reactivation] was already moving at full speed and now we’re optimizing the plan, expanding the integration of the government.”