With the celebration of World Environment Day and with events such as Rio +20 approaching fast, the discussions on the environment and sustainability have earned increased importance within the national scenario. In order to contribute toward these debates, and primarily, toward initiatives that generate significant results in terms of the conservation of natural resources, the Land Conservation Organization (OCT), a partner of the Odebrecht Foundation, has reinforced its operations in the Bahia Southern Lowlands.

One example is the implementation of the project “Restoring Environmental Services” in the sub-basins of the Mina Nova and Vargido Rivers, both part of the Juliana River Watershed, the largest drainage network inserted into the Pratigi Environmental Protection Area (EPA). The project partners include the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity (FUNBIO) and the Pratigi EPA Guardian Association.

The activities are designed to recover the degraded spaces in regions of river and water source Permanent Protection Areas (PPA) to re-establish the generation of environmental services, for example, climate stability, improvement and regulation of the water cycles, erosion and pest control, improved natural fertility of the soils and the sequestering of carbon from the atmosphere. Some 500 families will be involved with the actions, which consist mainly of small land owners and rural settlers who receive their income from the heart of palm, cabruca cacao and rubber plantations. The project lasts two years and one of its goals is the forest restoration of 40 hectares of riparian forests and water sources.