Expert sees flexibility in environmental legislation as one of the factors behind the tragedy in RS
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The coordinator of Climate ObservatorySuely Araújo, listed a series of changes undergone by environmental legislation in Rio Grande do Sul which may have led to the current situation the State is experiencing. To the Earth Nowthis Thursday, the 9th, she highlighted that the changes began in 2019, under the administration of current governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB).
“Practically the entire State Environmental Code was changed. Environmental licensing was made more flexible, so projects are now installed without the necessary environmental care. Environmental licensing in Rio Grande do Sul was automated, so you press a button and the printed license comes out , without the necessary environmental studies. This is already happening in several states across the country”, he began.
Increase in the level of Lagoa dos Patos causes flooding in cities in the south of RS
Photo: Disclosure/Rio Grande City Hall
Suely went on to mention, in sequence, the changes made. Check out:
- Attenuation of the protection of areas surrounding conservation units;
- Easing mining rules;
- Exclusion of the chapter that deals with the State’s tasks of encouraging environmental protection from the Environmental Code;
- Exclusion of the environmental education chapter;
- Flexibility in the rules for protecting riparian forests in areas of permanent water preservation in order to install reservoirs.
“But permanent preservation areas are fundamental, including to mitigate the effects of floods. The legislation has been significantly changed. There are other things in the Executive’s plan, the State has not shown it has a plan for disasters”, added Suely.
She highlights that the legislation provides for a contingency plan for the region, but this plan has not been seen in action. According to the coordinator of the Climate Observatory, there was already a forecast of heavy rain for Rio Grande do Sul, considering the bubble of hot air that is in the center-south of the country and the cold air coming from the South.
“From this situation on, you have to start activating whatever emergency planning you can. If you’re not going to avoid all the problems, you have to put the population in safer positions”, he pondered.
Source: Redação Terra
