A biodiversidade em estudos de impacto ambiental de empreendimentos minerários em Minas Gerais

Abstract

Currently, one of the main causes for biodiversity loss is land-use change. In this context, mining is an important activity to be considered, once that, although it occupies about 1% of the global surface, it has the potential to affect wide aeras via water contamination, air pollution and habitat loss and fragmentation. It should also be added to this the fact that a positive correlation between high diversity areas and metallic minerals deposits has been observed. A tool that contributes to a better assessment of potential impacts that this activity can have over biodiversity are Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), provided for in the CONAMA Resolution nº 01/1986. In this context, a survey of EISs of the mining sector carried out in Minas Gerais was conducted, in order to better understand how biodiversity issues have been addressed in different sections of these studies, as well as to identify potential gaps and improvement points. To define the evaluation criteria, ToR made available by the environmental agency were used as a basis, together with an Alignment Index that reflects the percentage at which a study contemplates the criteria selected. Results showed that the studies' alignment level to what is required in the ToR varies from low to moderate, and the highest indexes are associated to environmental programs proposition and environmental prognosis. Meanwhile issues such as wildlife and vegetation baseline studies and the actual environmental impact assessment have an average alignment rate below 50%, indicating the existence of a relevant gap in biodiversity issues when it comes to EISs elaboration and its appreciation, in terms of quality and suitability, in environmental licensing processes in Minas Gerais.