Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest metropolis of 11.4 million people, woke up this Wednesday (11) to the world's worst air quality for the third day in a row. The Swiss website IQAir, which tracked 120 major cities on the planet, cited the index for the capital city of São Paulo as unhealthy, meaning very bad and harmful to health.
The problem is not localized. In much of Brazil, the dire air situation, long worsened by the burning of factories and automobiles and the destruction of the environment, is further affected by the number of fires that redden the Brazilian map.
From January to this Tuesday (10), 167,452 fires were reported in the country, more than double the same period last year. Mato Grosso, Pará and Amazonas — the states where the Pantanal, Amazon and part of the Cerrado biomes are located — dominate the worst figures, according to indices from the National Institute of Space Research (Inpe). But the impacts are not felt only in these areas. Last weekend, 60% of the country was covered in smog.
Fundamental right
Concerns about the worsening of this situation, which is not happening now, are prompting debates, studies and proposals in the Senate.
The Federal Constitution in its Article 225 defines the right of all to an ecologically balanced environment, which presupposes good quality of available air. One of the proposals being implemented in the Senate is the Proposed Amendment of the Constitution (PEC) 7/2021, which makes the right to air quality a fundamental right and guarantee, including public and private indoor environments for collective use.
The first signatory to the plan, Senator Mara Gabrielli (PSD-SP) emphasized that air quality is one of the key factors in maintaining people's health. The scheme was conceived amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but the air we breathe in the country is currently in a worrisome situation.
“We propose that the right to air quality be elevated to constitutional status to give greater legal certainty to the current regulatory framework, which is undeniably a fundamental human right. Air pollution violates other fundamental rights. The right to life and health and the right to live in a healthy, wholesome and sustainable environment”The senator reasoned.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine out of 10 people on the planet breathe air with high levels of pollutants. This fact leads to estimates of millions of deaths worldwide related to ambient air pollution.
National Aviation Policy
In March of this year, the Senate approved PL 3,027/2022, which defines the principles, objectives and instruments in Law 14,850 of 2024. Project Reporter, Senator Fabiano Condarato (PT-ES), asserted that Brazil is far behind in the integrated regulation of the matter.
The objectives of the Act include ensuring the protection of public health, well-being and environmental quality for present and future generations, and adequate monitoring of air quality. The Act also established the creation of a National Air Quality Management System (MonitoAr) and the Union establishes national air quality standards through the National Environment Council (CONAMA), which coordinates the National Air Quality Control Program (PRONAR).
According to the text, states and federal districts can define air quality standards in their regions, as long as they are more restrictive than existing national standards in their own regulations.
Legislative Adviser to the Senate on the Environment Habib Frax Emphasized the importance of legislation requiring federal pronouncement.
— A monitoring system depends heavily on the organizational capacity of municipalities. For example, São Paulo is a city with several monitoring stations that can assess the level of gases and the problem to be faced. But most Brazilian municipalities do not have this status and do not monitor their air quality. The act also has the feature of encouraging federal consolidation, as many states and most municipalities lack the institutional capacity to implement the provisions proposed there, including a provision on funding. – Frax explained.
In May this year, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ordered Konama to issue a new resolution on air quality standards. A deadline of 24 months has been established to update the provisions related to the current standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) established in 2021.
Climate extremes
According to the Senate Counselor, comparable to the extreme climate experienced by the Rio Grande do Sul, the strong floods recorded in the first half of the year caused disaster in many areas, the current burning situation and the deterioration of its quality. Wind in the country.
— It is only happening to realize predictions that science has been making for a long time. Global warming, with more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is causing climate extremes such as heavy rain events, severe droughts, and in our case, severe water shortages, heat and drought. It's the perfect fuel for a fire in the Amazon.
Frakes recalls that Brazilian agriculture still uses fire to clear land and regenerate pastures.
— Integrated fire management is critical. There is fire ecology, in which scientists study the best time to use fire. For example, in agriculture, severe droughts, extreme winds, and burning of sugarcane fields have been observed in São Paulo to avoid fuel accumulation and not to use fire at times of high impact. Very dry climate, lack of rain. This is also fueling fire in the Amazon.
Faced with this situation, the consultant insisted that Brazil join the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
— We have contributions, yes. But it is important to say that 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels. It's not just in Brazil, but in this event in Rio Grande do Sul, and now, especially with the consequences of the economic model we have for energy production. – said the consultant.
According to Frogs, much of what needs to be done to tackle this serious problem requires the coordination of parliamentarians. This is the case for actions such as strengthening strategies to combat deforestation, banning the use of fire at certain times of the year, requiring integrated fire management for those authorized to suppress native vegetation, and ensuring resources to strengthen affiliated institutions. Environmental protection and fire and fire fighting, and creating awareness among people about alternative ways to prevent these fires.
Source: Senate Agency
