The Serrinha do Paranoá area, in the Federal District, has become the target of interests that expose the pressure on the region. A few weeks ago, the area came under scrutiny from the Federal District Government, which considered using it to capitalize the Banco de Brasília (BRB), involved in the corruption case with Banco Master. The area is listed among nine public properties that could be used to cover losses caused by dealings with the private bank.
The site, located between Varjão and Paranoá, and home to 119 springs and important remnants of native Cerrado, is considered a strategic water source for the Federal District. It was precisely this scenario that brought together researchers and activists at Eixão do Lazer, in Brasília, last Sunday (22), World Water Day. The event was part of the Cerrado, Heart of the Waters campaign and drew attention to the importance of the biome in the country's water security.
For Lucia Mendes, President of the Preserva Serrinha Association, the answer begins with recognition. “Most of the population of Brasília had never heard of Serrinha do Paranoá. For us, the residents and activists who are part of an organized community and who have been seeking knowledge about that territory for years, we understand when the territory is threatened. But how can you defend what you don't know?” she questioned.
Cerrado: the forgotten protagonist
The threat to Serrinha is not an isolated case; the Cerrado as a whole remains under intense pressure, driven by the expansion of agriculture and the fragility of environmental legislation. Researcher and director of the Cerrados Institute, Yuri Salmona, highlighted in the conversation that the biome's role is central and yet underestimated.
"The Cerrado biome is the main source of water for Brazil. This is a scientific fact, not an opinion. Eight of Brazil's 12 river basins are supplied with water from the Cerrado," he states.
Even so, the biome remains the most deforested in the country for the second consecutive year, surpassing the Amazon. “In a few years, everyone will be talking enthusiastically about the importance of protecting the Cerrado. The question is whether there will be enough time. This is a question that worries us greatly. Why is this question so pertinent? Because 50% of the Cerrado has already been deforested,” he explains.
Professor Mercedes Bustamante, from the Department of Ecology at UnB, explained the mechanism that makes the Cerrado vital. According to her, the deep roots of the vegetation allow access to water even during the dry season.
“During the peak of the dry season, the first meter of soil in the Cerrado is completely dry. The Cerrado vegetation is so resilient that it begins to put out new leaves before the rainy season,” he explains. “And what does this mean? That the Cerrado begins to return moisture to the atmosphere before the rain starts. This allows the humid air masses coming from northern Brazil to turn into rain here.”
Who protects
Isabel Figueiredo, coordinator of the ISPN Cerrado Program, highlighted the importance of traditional peoples and communities for the protection of the biome. She cited groups that maintain a connection with the Cerrado, such as the babaçu coconut breakers, pasture fence keepers, everlasting flower gatherers, herbalists, and the Araguaia riverbank dwellers.
“They have been there for many, many generations, some even before the establishment of the state itself, and they play a very important role in the conservation of the Cerrado, because they manage to have a way of life that allows the Cerrado to remain there,” he explains. “It is an interaction with the landscape that allows the waters to flow, the carbon to be stored there, and the fauna to permeate and move through the areas,” he concludes.
Cerrado, Heart of the Waters
The discussion panel on World Water Day was an initiative of the Cerrado, Heart of the Waters campaign, which brings together ISPN, Instituto Cerrados, Rede Cerrado, Funatura, IPAM, IEB and WWF-Brazil. The initiative had the support of Choro no Eixo. The campaign's aim is to communicate, in an accessible and engaging way, the centrality of the biome for the country's water balance.
By highlighting the Cerrado as a "heart" that beats and distributes water to different regions, the campaign seeks to raise awareness in society about the urgency of protecting its springs, rivers, and territories.