The City of São Paulo will sign its first public notice on Saturday (12) to reward citizens who commit to the preservation of watershed areas in the capital.
The initiative will be aimed at rural producers, but the Executive is already studying the inclusion of those who are not linked to agricultural activity and who are in areas with potential for environmental preservation.
A decree is also being prepared to regulate the Payment Program for the Provision of Environmental Services in Areas for the Protection of Water Sources in the Municipality of São Paulo (PSA). At least R$ 2.7 million should be allocated to the project, at first.
The public notice may include individuals and legal entities that own or have property in a watershed recovery area, whether urban or rural, private or public.
The approximately 450 rural producers in the south of São Paulo currently registered in the Ligue os Pontos project, aimed at sustainable development in rural areas, are the target audience for the “rewards” provided for in the first public notice — provided they are committed to the preservation of springs.
Compliance with the agreement will be periodically inspected by the city hall, and the amounts will only be paid if sustainable actions are proven, according to municipal management.
According to the Secretariat for the Green and the Environment, the objective of the payment program is to guarantee a public policy to encourage environmental preservation, covering fronts such as the recovery of the Atlantic Forest, the encouragement of organic agriculture and the preservation of springs, among others.
Both the decree and the public notice will be celebrated by the municipal secretaries of Government, Rubens Rizek, and of International Relations, Marta Suplicy, during an event at Parque Augusta, in the central region of São Paulo, on the 12th.
On the occasion, a series of activities will be carried out aimed at popularizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the action plan of the city hall’s 2030 agenda. The organization of the event is headed by Marta Suplicy.
with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS and MANOELLA SMITH
