{"id":104790,"date":"2024-03-21T15:16:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T14:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/?p=104790"},"modified":"2024-03-21T17:18:41","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T16:18:41","slug":"tangara-reserve-a-breath-of-forest-in-latin-americas-largest-megalopolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/tangara-reserve-a-breath-of-forest-in-latin-americas-largest-megalopolis\/","title":{"rendered":"Tangar\u00e1 Reserve, a breath of forest in Latin America’s largest megalopolis"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo, Mar 21 (EFE).- Within the metropolitan area of S\u00e3o Paulo, the largest city in Latin America, hides 700,000 square meters of forest, a natural refuge for more than 120 species of animals. At Coral Tangar\u00e1 Reserve<\/strong>, they can breathe the purest air in the area and enjoy two springs of crystal-clear water.<\/p>\n

Located in the municipality of Mau\u00e1<\/strong>, right next to one of the world’s largest paint and coatings production plants owned by the Dutch multinational AkzoNobel<\/strong>, the Atlantic Forest, Brazil’s most devastated and threatened biome, has found a major ally in its neighboring factory for its recovery and conservation.<\/p>\n

The Atlantic Forest Seeks Help<\/h2>\n

The Atlantic Forest<\/strong> is a humid tropical forest stretching along the Brazilian coast, precisely the country’s most industrialized area, which jeopardizes its conservation.<\/p>\n

The biome, which also spreads across Argentina and Paraguay, is home to more than 20,000 species of fauna and flora<\/strong>, nearly 2,000 of which are endangered.<\/p>\n

Between 2021 and 2022, the Atlantic Forest lost 20,075 hectares of native forests<\/strong>, according to a report by the SOS Atlantic Forest Foundation<\/strong><\/a>, which uses official data collected by satellite.<\/p>\n

To reverse this scenario, the NGO advocates for the creation of conservation units and private reserves<\/strong>, which is crucial since 78% of the lands in this biome are privately owned.<\/p>\n

Only 10% of the Atlantic Forest territory is protected<\/strong>, but according to estimates by the SOS Atlantic Forest Foundation, this allows for offsetting 1.5 gigatonnes of CO2.<\/p>\n

\"AME358. <\/a>
AME358. MAU\u00c1 (BRAZIL), 20\/03\/2024.- Photograph showing the source of a river in the Atlantic Forest, on January 31, 2024, in the Tangar\u00e1 Reserve, in the municipality of Mau\u00e1 (Brazil). EFE\/ Isaac Fontana <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"MAU\u00c1 <\/a>
MAU\u00c1 (BRAZIL), 20\/03\/2024.- Aerial photograph of a section of the Atlantic Forest on January 31, 2024, in the Tangar\u00e1 Reserve, next to part of the Dutch company AkzoNobel’s plant in the municipality of Mau\u00e1 (Brazil). EFE\/ Isaac Fontana <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

A Model of Sustainable Development<\/h2>\n

An example of this protective work is AkzoNobel’s efforts in the Coral Tangar\u00e1 Reserve<\/strong>, which accounts for 10% of the native forests in Mau\u00e1.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past ten years, the company has invested about $480,000 in the reserve<\/strong>, where it has undertaken restoration work focused on removing eucalyptus to replant native species.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has managed to improve water quality, prevent fires, and create a biological corridor<\/strong>, explains AkzoNobel’s sustainability manager, Fl\u00e1via Takeuchi.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The changes we’ve seen have been mainly in terms of biodiversity and water regulation<\/strong>,” Takeuchi told EFE.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Since water is one of the main raw materials for the paint factory, Takeuchi argues, it was essential to adopt measures to conserve this resource.<\/p>\n

“We know that the water quality from eucalyptuses was not very good, compared to that from native vegetation,” she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The company also carries out environmental education work<\/strong> with local public school children, who can make guided visits to the reserve.<\/p>\n

Another measure adopted in Mau\u00e1 was the creation of a wastewater treatment plant<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The facility, costing almost $2.6 million, subjects water to physical, chemical, and biological purification processes<\/strong>, allowing its reuse in the production of paints and coatings, enabling the factory to achieve a 100% reuse rate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"MAU\u00c1 <\/a>
MAU\u00c1 (BRAZIL), March 20, 2024.- AkzoNobel’s sustainability manager, Fl\u00e1via Takeuchi stands next to a sign of the Tangar\u00e1 Reserve, on January 31, 2024, in the municipality of Mau\u00e1 (Brazil). EFE\/ Isaac Fontana <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"AME358. <\/a>
AME358. MAU\u00c1 (BRAZIL), 20\/03\/2024.- Aerial photograph of the waste treatment plant of the Dutch multinational AkzoNobel, on January 31, 2024, in the municipality of Mau\u00e1 (Brazil). EFE\/ Isaac Fontana <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Everyone’s Responsibility<\/h2>\n

Takeuchi emphasizes that these projects are a major challenge for AkzoNobel. “We had to step out of our comfort zone<\/strong>, but we want to show the way and inspire other companies,” she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

She also calls on all local sectors to make a collective effort to move towards a more sustainable future.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Not just the public sector, but also the private sector and the community. We all have a role to play in conservation,” she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n