The Alto Pantanal Brigade is a permanent brigade programme run by the Instituto Homem Pantaneiro, which works to conserve and restore the Pantanal. The focus of this programme is to guarantee the existence of an environmental brigade, because as well as fighting forest fires, the team carries out a series of environmental actions in the Serra do Amolar region, where the IHP also runs another programme, the Serra do Amolar Protection and Conservation Network (Rede Amolar).
The Amolar Network represents the Institute’s efforts with rural landowners to guarantee a biodiversity corridor within the Pantanal. This corridor is home to more than a hundred species of animals and comprises landscapes of the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Amazon. It also serves as a home for more than a hundred families in tradicional communities.
Duties of the Alto Pantanal Brigade:
Fighting forest fires;
Prevention of forest fires through the construction of firebreaks and access routes, which also serve as escape routes for wild animals;
Environmental education with communities;
Support for researchers to carry out environmental monitoring;
Recovery of areas affected by fires in the Serra do Amolar region;
Support for the implementation of agroforestry systems in the communities.
How did it come about?
With the intensification of a drought in the Pantanal from 2019 onwards, a major fire broke out a year later, in 2020. At that time, the wildfire devastated more than 90% of the Serra do Amolar region and caused loss of habitat for various animals, damage to biodiversity in a World Natural Heritage Site and to traditional communities. Since February 2020, when the fires started that year, the Instituto Homem Pantaneiro has trained staff and mobilised firefighting brigades with donated resources, but the fire was bigger than the team could control.
According to data from the Environmental Satellite Applications Laboratory of UFRJ’s Meteorology Department (LASA), more than 90% of the areas of Amolar Network have been burnt. This is due to the climatic conditions, with high temperatures and low air humidity, causing the fire to spread rapidly through the dry vegetation, causing, in addition to the burning of the vegetation, the death of animals.
After the fires of 2020, the IHP stepped up its measures to prevent forest fires in the Serra do Amolar region and the Alto Pantanal Brigade became a key part of these actions.
Continuous work with donations and partnerships
Since 2021, the Alto Pantanal Brigade has been working all year round. In addition to building firebreaks and escape routes for animals in strategic areas across an area of almost 300,000 hectares, the environmental brigades provide support for rural schools in the Serra do Amolar region and for communities, have planted more than 25,000 seedlings and carry out environmental education in rural schools and social projects in Corumbá (Mato Grosso do Sul).
As the wildfires has been intensified in 2024, the firefighters were also mobilised to fight the fires in the Amolar Network region in January/February and June. The team also carries out joint actions with the Mato Grosso do Sul Fire Department and Bolivian authorities, as was necessary in 2024. Because of the actions taken so far, the fire did not reach priority areas in the Serra do Amolar until July 2024. As the risk of fire remains, the work doesn’t stop.
Follow the bulletin on the fire scenario in the Pantanal, in the Amolar Network region, at this link. Check the Alto Pantanal Brigade Instagram out and stay tunned!
About IHP
The Instituto Homem Pantaneiro (IHP) is a non-profit civil society organisation. Founded in 2002 in Corumbá (MS), it works to conserve and preserve the Pantanal biome and local culture.
Among the activities carried out by the institution are the management of protected areas, the development and support of scientific research and the promotion of dialogue between actors with an interest in the area.
The Institute’s programmes are Rede Amolar (Amolar Network), Cabeceiras do Pantanal, Amolar Experience, Felinos Pantaneiros, Memorial do Homem Pantaneiro, Brigada Alto Pantanal and Estratégias para Conservação da Natureza. Find out more at https://institutohomempantaneiro.org.br/. The IHP is also part of the Pantanal Observatory.