Pará launches DETER-VS, an unprecedented system for monitoring secondary vegetation in the Amazon
Tool developed by Inpe, in partnership with Semas, reinforces the leadership of the State of Pará in environmental innovation and forest restoration
The government of Pará, through the State Secretariat for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas), launched, this Wednesday (12), during the COP30 program in Belém, DETER-VS, the first continuous monitoring system for secondary vegetation (regenerating forest) in Brazil.
Developed by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), in cooperation with Semas, the system marks an innovation in the use of land cover data and satellite images. DETER-VS monitors the dynamics of this vegetation, which is essential for carbon sequestration, biodiversity maintenance, climate balance, soil protection, and water resource regulation.
The tool performs quarterly analyses using medium and high-resolution images, employing automated processes to detect changes in vegetation cover. DETER-VS accurately differentiates areas of regeneration, conversion, and cutting of secondary vegetation, providing a detailed view for management, restoration, and oversight.
During the launch panel, the Deputy Secretary of Water and Climate at Semas (Sagac), Renata Nobre, highlighted Pará's leadership role in creating solutions. “This delivery represents the public service's ability to innovate, even in the face of difficulties. It was the public sector, once again, that responded with agility and competence, in partnership with Inpe, which delivered an excellent tool that will serve as an example for Brazil,” said Renata Nobre.
The secretary also emphasized the State's tradition of leading environmental policies. “The State of Pará is used to creating its own solutions. This was the case with the restoration unit, an unprecedented legal figure in Brazil, which will allow progress in ecological restoration at scale. We need to reconcile the various economic activities of our State, and this is only possible with innovation, science, and quality public management,” she added.
Representing Inpe Amazônia, the coordinator of the regional unit of the Institute in Belém, Alessandra Gomes, explained that the project is a direct result of a technical cooperation with Semas, born from the need to monitor secondary vegetation with more precision and frequency.
“Inpe Amazônia was created to respond to the specific demands of the region, and this project is an example of that. Based on a demand from Semas, we started to develop our own methodology to map and monitor secondary vegetation areas quarterly,” she explained.
She detailed that the system integrates official data such as PRODES and TerraClass and emphasized the importance of the results. “DETER-VS consolidates the use of science and technology as instruments of environmental management. The State of Pará is a pioneer in investing in this type of innovation,” she concluded.
