The Vale Foundation was recognized by the Institute of People and the Environment of the Amazon (Imazon) at the NGO Parallel Forum at the Convention on Biological.
Diversity's 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), which opened this week in Kunming, in Yunnan province, China.
The innovative platform PrevisIA, created by the Institute of People and the Environment of the Amazon (Imazon) in partnership with the Vale Foundation and Microsoft, was chosen as one of the "100+ Global Biodiversity Case Studies".
The PrevisIA platform uses artificial intelligence technology to protect the Amazon rainforest.
Mrs. Wei Feng (second from right), Vale China's general manager for Corporate Affairs, received the certificate on stage on behalf of the company.
COP15 will be held in Kunming from the 11th to the 15th of October and will present models and successful cases of large-scale conservation of biodiversity under the direction of the Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Office of the Executive Committee for the Preparation of COP15. The China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF) and Taohuayuan Ecological Protection Foundation (TEPF) organized in partnership a global convocation for "100+ Biodiversity Cases".
The call for submission of cases took place from the 20th of July to the 7th of September, with a total of 258 cases presented by 196 organizations in 26 countries.
PrevisIA is an innovative platform that uses artificial intelligence technology to identify areas that are at risk of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The platform was developed to change the way in which forests are protected in such a way that, rather than focus on areas already deforested, data is used to predict upcoming deforestation and prevent damage to forests. The platform analyzes a range of data variables related to topography, land cover, official and non-official roads, urban infrastructure, and socioeconomic data in order to predict areas most at risk of being deforested. Additionally, PrevisIA publishes the results of analyses, in a visual format, on a platform that is open to the public, making available information easily accessible to all.
The PrevisIA platform is able to provide strategic data not only to public institutions that protect forests, but also in a manner that allows society as a whole to participate in the conservation of the Amazon. The next most probable period of deforestation is from July of 2021 to July of 2022. During this period, the PrevisIA platform will map out almost 10,000 hectares found to be at a high or very high risk of deforestation on a georeferenced map. This information will help public institutions and society to take preventive measures.
The PrevisIA project is also part of Vale's strategic objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Vale currently protects approximately one million hectares of forest around the world, 800,000 of which is in the Amazon region. Vale also plans to add 500,000 more hectares of restored and protected forest by 2030. Artificial intelligence technology will help Vale reach its objectives for forest conservation.
The NGO Parallel Forum at COP15, organized by the Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and China's Association of Civil Society Organizations (CACOSO) is the first of its kind to be held in China.
It will be one of eight parallel forums at COP15 and a key event in the "Sharm El-Sheikh to Kunming" Action Agenda for Nature and People.
The Amazon
The Amazon region accounts for 50% of the world's tropical forests and houses the world's most extensive drainage basin, a fifth of the planet's freshwater, 400 billion trees, and 20% of the planet's living species. In addition, it stores between 150 and 200 billion tons of carbon. Around 28 million people currently live in the Brazilian Amazon, the equivalent of 13% of the country's total population.
Vale has been active in the Amazon for more than 30 years and formed a partnership with the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation (ICMBio) to help to finance the project, which helped to protect approximately 800,000 hectares of tropical forest, a reserve covering more than a third of the total area of the city of Kunming, with a carbon stock of 4.5 million tons.
In 2020, Vale released its Declaration on the Amazon, reaffirming the company's commitment to promoting sustainable development in the Amazon region.
The Caracas National Forest, protected by Vale, is also part of the Amazon Rainforest.
Vale's long-term biodiversity goals
Vale fully recognizes the importance of biodiversity and sees it as a relevant topic for business since it is essential to maintaining the wealth, amplitude, and the value of life and ecosystem services. It is because of this importance that Vale established long-term targets focusing on reducing significant losses in biodiversity.
The company protects and helps to protect approximately a million hectares of forest, contributing to the conservation of plant species and native animal species, especially those that are endemic. Vale has also implemented an integrated management system for its operational areas, contributing to the conservation of native animal and plant species, particularly endemic species and those threatened with extinction.
About Vale Fund
The Vale Fund, created and supported by Vale, is an investment and development fund with the objective of promoting positive solutions for environment and social impacts, reinforcing an economy that is sustainable, equitable, and inclusive. Since it was formed in 2009, the Vale Fund has already provided support for 82 socio-environmental projects and contributed to the sustainable development of more than 23 million hectares of protected areas. It has also been listed among the Top 10 Amazon Conservation Funders by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
To learn more about the Vale Fund, visit: www.fundovale.org
About the Institute of People and the Environment of the Amazon (Imazon)
The Institute of People and the Environment of the Amazon (Imazon) is a Brazilian non-profit research institute and a public interest organization that is part of civil society.
Its mission is to promote sustainable development in the Amazon region through means of research, support for public policy development, and widespread dissemination of information and training.
Imazon was founded in 1990 and its headquarters are located in the Brazilian city of Belém. In more than 30 years since it was created, Imazon has published 700 technical articles in more than 200 scientific magazines and 101 books, as well as more than 150 technical articles related to public policy. To learn more about Imazon, visit their website.
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