USAID and U.S. Forest Service launch new program for Brazil Forest Management and Fire Prevention

In July, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partnered, once again, with the Government of Brazil and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to launch the program for Brazil Forest Management and Fire Prevention. The new 5-year program incorporates fire prevention and management, governance and management of forests and natural resources, and the sustainable use of protected public lands.

Program partners will work closely with stakeholders to strengthen technical capacity in those areas and promote women’s leadership. These will also include Indigenous People´s participation and leadership in forest and fire management.

Increasingly, frequent droughts and the associated fire risks threaten conservation of biodiversity in the Amazon region. Agribusiness, family-farming, forest-based production, rural and nature-based tourism are limited by the increased frequency and intensity of fires.

Under this new program, USAID and USFS will work together with the Brazilian Federal Government, through the Ministry of the Environment and its agencies – the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the Brazilian Institute Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA/Prevfogo). The initiative will also work with the National Indian Foundation (Funai), the private sector and local partners to protect the landscapes, communities and livelihoods in the Amazon.

The new program, with technical implementation by the USFS, will build on the long-standing partnerships to provide technical support, conduct workshops and trainings, and networking exchanges to improve the capacity  of targeted Brazilian government agencies. Participating volunteers, traditional and Indigenous communities, local businesses and partners will find national solutions to fire concerns affecting forest management, conservation, and livelihoods.