BNDES allocates R$ 17 million for Cerrado environmental restoration

BNDES and the Furnas Revitalization Program Management Committee (CPR Furnas) are allocating R$ 17.18 million to ecological restoration and water resource revitalization projects in Goiás, Minas Gerais, and the Distrito Federal. Part of the Floresta Viva program, the funding will support five selected projects, each tasked with restoring 100 hectares of degraded land over a period of up to 48 months.

The initiatives focus on areas strategic to water and energy security, specifically targeting springs, soil, and water flows that supply the Corumbá, Batalha, Serra do Facão, and Itumbiara hydroelectric reservoirs. The selected entities include the Rede Sementes do Cerrado (RSC), Associação Aliança Tropical de Pesquisa da Água (TWRA), Fundação Pro Natureza (Funatura), Instituto Cerrado e Sociedade (ICS), and Consórcio Cerrado das Águas (CCA).

Funding is derived from BNDES and CPR Furnas, with contributions linked to the privatization of Eletrobras (now Axia Energia) under Law No. 14.182/2021. The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio) manages the public calls, project selection, and execution monitoring. This effort is part of a larger R$ 2.3 billion revitalization plan for the Furnas area scheduled over ten years.