CONTEXTUALIZATION

With the New Forestry Code (Act Nº. 12,651/2012), the Rural Environmental Registration (CAR) was instituted as the electronic public registration on a national scope, which is mandatory for all rural properties. The aim is to integrate environmental information on rural properties and bailments, putting together a database for control, monitoring, environmental and economic planning, as well as to combat deforestation.

The state of Ceará has developed efforts aimed at land-title regularization for the entire state, after having surveyed the land-title data for rural properties in the 109 municipalities covered by the project. Implementing the CAR, which is to receive support from the project, will rely on the database, which will make demarking land more reliable for registration. The aim is for CAR to become the instrument through which all documents that require authorization from an environmental agency are requested and approved.

THE PROJECT

The project is part of the state’s strategy to implement the CAR as it aims to support the registration of 166,000 rural properties with up to four official government-measured modules, as well as improving infrastructure and communication related to registration throughout the entire state.

It has been structured into three components:

1. support for CAR registration;
   
   
2. institutional standardization, mobilization and communication; and
   
   
3. infrastructure to implement the CAR.

Support for the first component will include hiring outsourced parties to carry out the registration. The second component consists of a publicity strategy on the importance of the CAR as well as mobilizing rural land owners and rural bailees. The third component entails acquiring equipment to foster improvements to and modernization of Semace infrastructure, as well as guaranteeing the security of stored CAR information.

INTERVENTION LOGIC

The project falls within the "Monitoring and Control" (2) component of the Amazon Fund's Logical Framework.  

Click on the following image to view its objectives tree, that is, how the project's outputs and linked to the expected outcomes and impact.

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED

To implement the project, a technical cooperation agreement was signed between the State Superintendence of the Environment (Semace) and the Agrarian Development Institute of Ceará (Idace), aiming at carrying out joint actions for the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) of properties up to four fiscal modules in the 182 municipalities of the state of Ceará covered by the project.

A total of 145,206 properties up to four fiscal modules were registered in SICAR, covering an area of 1,908,464.5 hectares. It is worth noting that the registration rate varies across municipalities, with percentages ranging from 12% to 100%. This variation is due to factors such as resistance to declaring environmental liabilities, restrictions on the use of legal reserves, the possibility of further deadline extensions, and the registration process being conducted privately. During the registration process carried out by the contracted companies, Semace, through the Project Management Unit – CAR (UGP/CAR), adopts verification procedures and requests adjustments to the registrations to ensure compliance with the law and to guarantee the quality of the product delivered by the company.

The action strategy adopted by the project is implemented through 11 fixed bases located in municipalities that serve as hubs in the planning regions of Ceará, and through itinerant services in the other municipalities. These service points operate in public buildings, labor union offices, and state and municipal public agencies. Trained professionals are available at these centers to conduct CAR registrations, and the necessary infrastructure, including furniture and informational materials such as banners and brochures, is provided.

Regarding the infrastructure for the implementation of CAR, six vehicles were purchased. These vehicles are used for monitoring and inspecting the services provided by the contracted company and supporting mobilization efforts and engagement with family farmers to provide guidance on CAR and the importance of the project.

Technological support equipment, such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and GPS devices with integrated digital cameras, were acquired, as well as IT equipment such as desktop computers and laptops.

It is also worth noting the preparation of a draft Terms of Reference for the acquisition of dynamic analysis supplies, including the purchase of images with adequate resolution, with the approval of the SFB (Brazilian Forest Service) regarding technical requirements.

The communication strategy is based on direct community engagement, local radio programs, lectures, and the distribution of educational materials. Heat maps provided by the contracted company, which identify areas with a high density of registrations and low adherence, enable the targeted execution of the specified actions.

A total of 132,200 brochures were distributed to rural property owners with up to four fiscal modules and local agents, and one institutional leveling seminar and twelve regional mobilization seminars were held in eleven municipalities.

Regarding the communication plan, a Decentralized Budget Credit Transfer Agreement (TDCO) was signed with the Governor's Office to contract services for the preparation of communication materials to support the project’s implementation. All materials were produced and delivered to Semace, including banners, badges, posters, brochures, and calendars.