Extreme drought and fires lead the Environment Council to call a meeting in Santarém

The ordinary meeting was called for 9 am, this Monday (19), at the headquarters of the Municipal Center for Environmental Information and Education (Ciam), in the Center.

One of the central points on the agenda is Santarém's adherence to the third cycle of the "Union with Municipalities for the Reduction of Deforestation and Forest Fires" program, run by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The council's decision will be recorded in minutes to formalize the municipality's participation in the federal initiative.

The counselors also analyze fire monitoring bulletins, with the participation of professor Alex Santos da Silva, to plan actions against hot spots. Another topic on the agenda is State Decree No. 5,606, which declared a preventive climate and environmental alert situation.

The council's mobilization comes at a critical time for the region. Santarém City Hall declared an emergency situation due to the prolonged drought. The municipal decree is valid for 90 days.

The city has not recorded rain since July 23, approaching three months of drought. The emergency measure allows you to accelerate the purchase of goods and the hiring of services to help the affected areas.

Civil Defense and the Risk Management Committee monitor the Amazon and Tapajós rivers to guarantee humanitarian assistance and drinking water to isolated communities that depend on river transport.

The Tapajós River reached the 1.63 meter mark this Sunday (18). The level is 1.38 meters below that recorded in the same period last year. Although the current index exceeds the historical records of 2024 (0.20 meters) and 2023 (0.58 meters), the situation still requires attention, as the alert level is 2.10 meters.

CMMA is a consultative and deliberative body linked to the Municipal Environment Secretariat (Semma). The group works to formulate guidelines for licensing, inspection and management of the Amazon biome in Santarém.

The board is made up of 22 members, including members and substitutes. The group brings together representatives from public authorities, universities and civil society, such as the Federal University of Western Pará (Ufopa), the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (Ipam) and local unions.