Foto: Chapada dos Veadeiros, por Julio Itacaramby

The initiative “Integrated Fire Management at the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goias” aims to purchase the equipment and muster the community support needed for implementation, reducing the risk of wildfire and protecting the PA’s biodiversity.

In 2018, the initiative started receiving support from the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA), an American law that allows countries to commute a portion of their national debt to the US into tropical forest conservation. In Brazil, the TFCA has channeled USD 20.8 million dollars into 97 conservation initiatives across three biomes: the Cerrado grasslands, Caatinga scrublands and the Atlantic Forest. Funbio is executive secretary.

The Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goiás is immense, spanning some 2,400 km², an area twice the size of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The PA, which covers a considerable swath of this unique biome, the world’s most biodiverse grassland,  boasts hundreds of waterfalls and endless kilometers of trails and hiking routes. In October 2017, the park suffered the worst wildfire in its history, which destroyed 28% of its total area. Though severely wounded, the Chapada is slowly recovering.