Brazilian government to hire 739 more environmental agents in 2022

The Brazilian minister of the Environment, Joaquim Leite, highlighted this week some measures to improve inspection efficiency on protected areas all over the country, such as hiring environmental agents, increasingly technology adoption and partnerships with private sector.

“The Ministry of the Environment has been adhering to the modern principles of public administration: planning, organizing, directing and controlling material and human resources to achieve previously defined objectives, in an integrated and efficient way”, pointed out Leite.

Among the examples, inspection and management actions over federal protected areas received relevant investments in 2021. According to the minister, new technologies will be allies of environmental protection and preservation increasingly from now on.

He quoted Ibama and ICMBio, bodies linked to the Ministry of the Environment, were equipped with new monitoring cameras, laptops, vehicles, helicopters, boats, drones, fire trucks and plus structure.

In 2022, there will be a relevant reinforcement on the staff through hiring new environmental agents for IBAMA and ICMBio. According to him, it shall represent a significant increase in the contingent, to expand inspection in the fight against deforestation throughout the country.

“We opened a public selection for Ibama and ICMBio in 2021, in order to boost workforce in the field, with 739 new environmental agents, representing an increase of 18% over the current staff”, he said.

Operation

Integrated inspection also continues with Operation Biome Guardians to avoid and combat forest fires and environmental crimes in the Amazon. The action is coordinated by the Ministry of Justice together with the Ministry of Environment, Ibama, ICMBio as well state and municipal governments.

In 2021, these efforts resulted in 16% less alert areas, compared to 2020. This initiative will be reinforced in the Amazon, with National Force and Federal Police intelligence. In the region, the program will be permanent in cities with the highest deforestation rates in the country.

Partnerships

Another action is the policy of partnership with the private sector to expand investments in federal preservation areas. The minister points out that concession policy is already a reality and should attract more partners to invest in preservation.

“The new model of concessions for national parks should attract more than R$4 billion for conservation units all over the country. In practice, this means more efficiency, more legal certainty, predictability of investments, a better business environment related to nature tourism, more economic growth and green jobs for Brazilians”, concluded Joaquim Leite.