Mayor of Óbidos learns about the Environmental Protection Quota model during a visit to Ideflor-Bio
The municipality in western Pará seeks to strengthen environmental management and ensure financial returns with state Conservation Units
The State Government, through the Institute of Forest Development and Biodiversity of Pará (Ideflor-Bio), received the mayor of Óbidos, Jaime Barbosa, to present the mechanisms and advantages of the Environmental Protection Quota (CPA). The meeting took place at the Ideflor-Bio headquarters in Belém and was led by the president of the agency, Nilson Pinto.
During the meeting, President Nilson Pinto detailed how the CPA acts as an instrument for valuing protected areas and generates financial returns for the municipalities that host them. According to him, the initiative combines forest conservation and rural production, favoring a model of sustainable development.
“Economic production finances environmental protection. And environmental protection enables economic production. This is the logic of a policy that unites two historical interests of Pará: the development of the countryside and the conservation of the forest,” said Nilson.
Benefits and direct returns to municipalities
Each CPA corresponds to one hectare of protected forest, valid for 15 years. The annual value of the compensatory quota is R$ 100, with a 40% discount for upfront payments, totaling R$ 900. There are also non-compensatory quotas, intended for voluntary donations, at a value of R$ 60 per hectare.
The expectation of the Government of Pará is to expand the permanent financing of the 29 state Conservation Units through the CPA, allocating part of the resources directly to the municipalities that have these areas within their territory. In Óbidos, which hosts state UCs, there is potential for fundraising to support local environmental projects.
“The CPA is an innovation that guarantees concrete benefits for biodiversity conservation and also for partner municipalities, as is the case of Óbidos,” emphasized Nilson Pinto.
Structuring management and municipal partnerships
The resources collected through the CPA are prioritized for structuring actions, such as the creation and strengthening of UC management, infrastructure improvement, equipment acquisition, and support for environmental enforcement.
Mayor Jaime Barbosa expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with Ideflor-Bio. “This visit brought us important clarifications. Óbidos has a great environmental heritage, and we want this asset to convert into sustainable development for our population,” he stated.
With the visit, the municipality of Óbidos is approaching the possibility of expanding its participation in the state's environmental policy, with access to a model that promotes conservation with concrete socioeconomic results.
