A study carried out in partnership between Itaipu Binacional, Itaipu Parquetec and the Federal University of ABC identified the emergence of 73 thousand hectares of forests in the region
A study on the impacts of forest restoration in the area of influence of Itaipu Binacional won the 6th edition of the MapBiomas Award, in the Business Applications Highlight category. The result was announced on Wednesday (August, 21) in Brasília, during the 9th Annual MapBiomas Seminar—a collaborative network formed by NGOs, universities, and technology startups for the study of water and soil.
The awarded work, ‘Impact of Forest Restoration on the Landscape Dynamics of the Itaipu Binacional Hydroelectric Plant,’ was conducted within the Territorial Intelligence Nucleus (NIT) of Itaipu Parquetec, focusing on Biodiversity, in partnership with Itaipu Binacional and the Federal University of ABC (UFABC).
Forestry engineer Veridiana Pereira and agronomist Liziane Kadine, both from Itaipu’s Protected Areas Division, and Itaipu Parquetec collaborator Flavia Rodriguez are co-authors of the research. The project was coordinated by Professor Leandro Tambosi (UFABC).
The researchers used MapBiomas land use and land cover mapping (1985-2020) to assess the changes that occurred in the landscape of 27 municipalities in the Paraná 3 Basin and the Iguassu National Park, after more than 30 years of intensive reforestation. The goal was to understand how Itaipu’s efforts in restoring native vegetation positively impacted the region’s landscape.
‘We identified the emergence of 73,000 hectares of new forests in the region, which were essential in reducing the negative impact of deforestation that occurred in the area and also in promoting some benefits,’ explained Leandro Tambosi, citing as an example the increase in the average size of forest fragments and the improvement in the path and connectivity of ecological corridors.
“We also found that restoring forests in permanent preservation areas (APPs) has the potential to bring even more benefits, both for biodiversity conservation and for protecting water resources in the region. Now, we can work with simulations to prioritize the restoration of these and other areas in the region,” he added.
When presenting the award, Veridiana Pereira recalled that research is a long-term action and that Itaipu has been working on the forest, water and energy nexus for 45 years. “That is why I would like to thank the restorers of the past, present and future. They have transformed the protected areas of Itaipu and the entire Paraná River Basin, which is the subject of this study. It was a long-term and very important work for restoration.”
Veridiana also mentioned that Itaipu’s current management has expanded the company’s operations to the 399 municipalities of Paraná and 35 of Mato Grosso do Sul, with the Itaipu More than Energy program. Today, these actions cover an area of 200 thousand km², with an estimated population of 11 million people.
Awards
In total, eight works were awarded in six categories (out of a total of 193 entries). In the general category, the winner received R$ 15,000 and the second place, R$ 10,000. In the other categories, the prize was R$ 10,000 – in addition to an annual subscription to Ciência Hoje Digital Magazine, a scholarship to take a course on Geoprocessing of satellite images using Google Earth Engine and the production of a video about the winning work.
Background
In 2017, the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation published a study indicating that Itaipu is primarily responsible for the regeneration of forest areas in Paraná. Almost 30% of the biome has recovered in the state over the last 30 years.
In 2019, Itaipu’s protected areas were recognized as the core area of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, within the “Man and the Biosphere” program of the United Nations (UNESCO).
In 2023, the company celebrated the planting of 24 million trees on the Brazilian side of the protection strip alone. The report considers all plantings since 1979, when Itaipu’s protected areas were created.
