Pará joins global initiative for the protection of mangroves
The state was the first in Brazil to join the initiative after the formalization of the Brazilian government's participation
The governor of the state, Helder Barbalho, officially announced on Wednesday (9) the support of the State Government for the international initiative Mangrove Breakthrough, a multisectoral action to enhance the protection and financing of mangrove ecosystems. The state was the first in Brazil to join the initiative after the formalization of the Brazilian government's participation.
In the endorsement letter, the state governor committed to ensuring the protection of 15 million hectares of mangroves worldwide by the year 2030. The commitment was formalized through a letter signed by Governor Helder Barbalho.
The Government of Pará recognizes, in the document, the multiple benefits of mangroves, including their role as natural carbon sinks, barriers against natural disasters, sources of food and income for local populations, and natural filters against pollutants. “Millions of people around the world depend on the health of these ecosystems for their livelihoods and sustainable development,” says the letter.
Pará also commits to establishing concrete goals, participating in the Mangrove Breakthrough Action Community, sharing best practices, and adopting principles such as maximizing biodiversity, using the best scientific evidence, and mobilizing high-integrity capital.
In the Amazon coastal zone, along the states of Amapá, Pará, and Maranhão, lies the largest continuous stretch of mangroves in the world. Recent studies indicate that these are the most preserved mangroves on the planet.
The state governor, Helder Barbalho, stated that joining the global initiative, connected to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, reinforces the state's leadership. “This commitment aligns Pará with a global effort connected to the UNFCCC and strengthens the state's role as a leader in environmental conservation agendas, combating climate change, and valuing coastal ecosystems. This is very important, especially in this year of COP30,” said Governor Helder Barbalho.
The initiative brings together governments, institutions, and civil society organizations around ambitious goals to halt the loss of these ecosystems, restore degraded areas, double the protection of existing mangroves, and ensure sustainable financing. The plan also aims to mobilize 4 billion dollars in investments by the end of the decade.
Among those present at the signing event were former Colombian President Iván Duque, CEO of the Concordia Summit Matthew Swift, Mangrove Breakthrough representative Carlos Correa, as well as Renilde Piedade from the Mothers of the Mangrove Network, and Mailton Silva from the Associations of Users of the Coastal Marine Extractive Reserves of Pará (Aurens).
Also present were the Secretary of State for Environment, Climate, and Sustainability, Raul Protázio Romão, along with Maura Sousa and Mariana Trindade, representatives of the international NGO Rare.
