the Encantada waterfall cascades down 283 meters (928 feet) until it reunites with the Samina riverbed
Sneaking through the canyon among rocks and trees
the waterway marks one of the borders of Chapada Diamantina National Park
is like its neighbor in many ways — it houses threatened species
water reservoirs and an endless supply of scenic beauty
Ongoing mineral prospecting near rivers and springs has raised the alarm among locals
who are concerned about the region’s water supply
the “Save Serra da Chapadinha” (originally “Salve a Serra da Chapadinha”) movement was created
setting off a race against time to establish a conservation unit
the official name that protected natural areas receive under Brazilian legislation
The popular mobilization was taken up by state representative Hilton Coelho
he forwarded a recommendation (n° 26.650/23) to Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues to transform Serra da Chapadinha into a protected area
The document emphasizes the need for legislation that grants the “preservation and conservation of one of the most important water recharge areas responsible for the water supply of 80 municipalities
the proposal was approved by the majority of the Bahia Legislative Assembly (ALBA) Steering Committee
“This was a fundamental step that the Bahian legislature took to express that there is an urgent need for state intervention to ensure the preservation and conservation of this environmental sanctuary
upon which many lives in Bahia depend,” celebrated the PSOL representative
adding that this movement doesn’t end in the Parliament
“We are spreading the local communities’ campaign in defense of Chapadinha with the support of members of PSOL in the Federal Chamber
entities and movements focused on the defense of water and the environment.”
An online petition for the creation of the conservation unit had already received more than 18,000 signatures at the completion of this article
the “Save Serra da Chapadinha” movement page has nearly 15,000 followers
While the type of conservation unit to be established was not specified
those orchestrating the movement say they believe it should be a wildlife refuge
a category that grants integral protection and does not require the displacement of landowners
as long as they align their activities with the objectives of the protected area
The proposal is currently being evaluated by the State Department of the Environment (Sema-BA)
Sema notes that it has already discussed the proposal with the governor and is “preparing for the possible establishment [of the conservation unit] that would culminate in the signing and publication of a decree
It’s not a quick process because it depends on studies
identification of conservation targets and of the best form of protection
along with consultations and public hearings to inform the entire population.”
the process also requires technical and financial support to conduct the studies
research institutions and civil society organizations
“It’s estimated that the process could take up to three years,” declares Sema
also acknowledging the hydrological significance of Serra da Chapadinha and its scenic beauty
The protected area would cover a territory of about 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) spread across three municipalities
with two smaller sections in Mucugê and Ibicoara
The Ibicoara city hall sent a motion of support for the protection of the mountain range
emphasizing the growing pressure from real estate and extractive industries in the region and calling the state government to action for the creation of the protected area
The municipalities of Itaetê and Mucugê have not publicly commented on the proposal
The reporting team contacted both city halls
As the proposal to establish a protected area remains unrealized
the territory of Serra da Chapadinha continues to be vulnerable
One of the main parties interested in the “unprotection” of the region is the mining industry
which covers almost the entire mountain range with prospecting initiatives aimed at mineral extraction
there are more than 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres) of areas authorized for prospecting in the region
according to open data from the National Mining Agency
The majority of requests pertain to iron ore
but there’s also an interest in quartzite and diamonds
which were heavily exploited in the region in the past
The search for these precious stones is already underway and covers 149 hectares (368 acres) located on the edge of the range
near the entrance to the canyon leading to the Encantada waterfall
The area is close to the water source that supplies the Baixão settlement
The prospecting process began in 2017 and has a permit valid until 2025
the company is authorized to make an initial exploration of the area — without commercial ends — to assess deposits and define the economic viability of extraction
The greatest concern of residents is at the foot of the mountains
where iron ore is being prospected on the banks of the Timbozinho River
“This activity [mining] has already shown too many traces of the destruction it leaves in the territories where it is established
It is an enterprise that endangers the environment
Indigenous peoples and traditional communities that make ancestral use of the territories so coveted by this type of high-impact exploration,” emphasizes Coelho
Our team visited the site at the beginning of June accompanied by a resident who will not be identified for security reasons
We walked about 500 meters (1,640 feet) — just a part of the prospected area — along narrow trails that ascend and descend a forested hill
trenches have been dug to reveal the buried part of the rock
Much of the surface of the rocks not covered by dirt or vegetation shines and displays black veins
Less than 100 meters (328 feet) separate the trail next to the rocks from the bed of the Timbozinho River
how are they going to remove all this without impacting the river
they’ll take the forest along with it and it will all end up in the river,” says the resident
after receiving reports of irregular iron extraction and deforestation
the Institute of Environment and Water Resources (Inema) conducted an inspection operation that resulted in a temporary suspension of activities
“But this action by Inema is still insufficient
The interdiction was made in only a quarter of the region,” says Coelho
The reporting team reached out to Inema for more details about these activities
whether the company was fined and whether mineral exploration has resumed
Mining company Novo Rumo is based in the municipality of Itaetê and was created in February 2023
The request to prospect the area was initially filed in 2017 and was passed around three different titular companies before being granted
One of the current partners in the company
actively carries mineral prospecting in two neighboring areas of 1,998 and 998.55 hectares (4,937 and 2,467 acres)
Both were initiated in 2022 and have permits valid until 2025
The reporting team attempted to contact the phone numbers listed in the registration forms of Novo Rumo Mining and Tree Stone
filed on May 26 this year by the mining company Ubax Ltd.
covering 827 hectares (2,043 acres) on both sides of the Una River
authorization for mineral prospecting had not yet been granted
I will do whatever I can to oppose it.”
Colônia is the oldest and largest settlement in the region
with 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres) and nearly 300 families
It is one of the closest to Serra da Chapadinha
all nine settlements in Itaetê and the three Quilombola communities in the region depend on water coming from the mountain range
more than a thousand families would be in a much more vulnerable situation,” emphasizes anthropologist Claudio Dorado from the Pastoral Land Council (CPT) of Bahia
the Movement for Popular Sovereignty in Mining (MAM)
and the Observatory of Socio-Environmental Conflicts in Chapada Diamantina are leading the initiative to establish a conservation unit in Serra da Chapadinha
these organizations are sending a letter to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change about the importance of protecting the mountain range
mining will impact the region’s economy
“There’s even a risk of land reconcentration because they [settlers] will no longer be able to survive in the area
and the mining company itself or some farmer will start speculating in the area and concentrating land,” he explains
The reporting team from ((o))eco ventured into the field to explore Serra da Chapadinha
we weaved upward the mountains via a dirt road
we crossed a marshland turned into a mud pit by the wheels of tractors and trucks
“They’re widening the road,” our local guide
“They’re improving access so the trucks can climb up and transport the timber.”
The territory of Chapada Diamantina is under special regulations by the Atlantic Forest Law
provides extra protection for vegetation and stricter rules for economic exploitation
Among the unique environments on the mountain range are the high-altitude wetlands
The area is rich in candeia (Eremanthus erythropappus)
Its timber is heavily exploited to make fence posts
but the tree’s true value lies in the medicinal properties of the oil extracted from its bark
which is sold raw or distilled (into alpha-bisabolol
“They’ve been buying up everyone’s land
They’re going to take all the candeia,” Sidney warns
pointing to a dozen trees visible from the roadside
we could hear the noise of a chainsaw in an area facing the “Fazenda Sossego da Chapadinha” sign belonging to the Citroflora company
approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Serra da Chapadinha
According to the records in the Brazilian corporate registry (Cadastro de Pessoa Jurídica)
the company’s primary activity is the production of industrial additives
Secondary activities include the production of crude vegetable oils
logging and charcoal production in planted forests
It’s for sale,” Nivaldo Pamplona
told ((o))eco over the phone when questioned about the property on Serra da Chapadinha
We’re creating firebreaks because there are a lot of fires there
We’re contributing to the road from the [village of] Rumo all the way up there,” he asserts
he says some of the forest had to be cut down
You can’t make a firebreak 1 meter wide
all was done with permission from the environmental agency
Inema did not respond to our inquiries about the property and the licensed activities in the mountains
“It’s a region with lots of candeia
but it’s very complicated to work in
even in terms of labor,” laments the owner
“I’m finishing the work on the road and everyone is in shock
difficulties in working,” he continues
is the only property the company owns in the mountains
Nivaldo says he was unaware of the proposed conservation unit in Serra da Chapadinha
one can see a few abandoned houses and farms
few people live in the higher part of the mountain range
One of the exceptions is the Toca do Lobo Inn
where a couple from São Paulo decided to start their life anew away from the hustle and bustle of big cities
Alcione and Marco arrived at Chapadinha in 2007
they have become the only option for tourists wishing to explore the still-unknown beauties of this mountain range
“Rarely do more than eight people come; usually we receive two
The couple took me to one of the local attractions
seems to defy gravity at the edge of the cliff
prehistoric paintings from an archaeological site still unstudied by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) remain preserved
The rock is located at the entrance to the canyon where the Samina River meanders
and it is possible to have a panoramic view of the region from there
as the wind that carved the stone toys with our hair
“Over there is the Baixão settlement,” Alcione points out
“The water they use comes from up here,” he adds
covering more than 80 municipalities and 1.7 million people
Serra da Chapadinha also plays a crucial role in Bahia’s water security
housing rivers and springs that feed the Una River
“Serra da Chapadinha is one of the most crucial water recharge areas in Bahia
All this water doesn’t originate from dams or gray engineering structures
All the water we’re discussing is generated in the water recharge zones in the Chapada Diamantina
which still retain a naturally preserved condition to supply surface water bodies and underground aquifers,” asserts Coelho
who proposed the creation of the conservation unit
mentions that the Chapadinha range has a cultural significance for the locals
who traditionally used the area for animal husbandry and farming during the dry season
these lands have been privatized and speculated
leading to a “land monopoly” and jeopardizing water as a common good
“The vegetation of Serra da Chapadinha serves not to produce food
Only the traditional temporary management that was done can be carried out in that location,” he adds
scarcely studied and seldom visited part of the Chapada Diamantina compared with the neighboring national park
its most frequent visitors are cougars (Puma concolor)
brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) and white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari)
The fauna list also includes endangered species
such as the blond titi monkey (Callicebus barbarabrownae) and the buff-headed capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos)
both primates considered critically endangered
has even led the National Research and Conservation Center of Brazilian Primates (CPB/ICMBio) to express
via an official letter accessible to the reporting team
their support for a protected area in Serra da Chapadinha
Several of these sightings were made possible thanks to the initiative of a couple
They decided to install camera traps to understand which species were circulating in the area
we’ve already recorded more than 25 species of terrestrial mammals
several of which are threatened,” shares Alcione
the northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus)
a feline endangered in the country; the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and the jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)
The couple has also documented a species of lizard found only in the Chapada Diamantina (Acratosaura spinosa) and a species of freshwater jellyfish yet to be described by science
“Serra da Chapadinha is a sanctuary for biodiversity,” Alcione emphasizes
such as the paina-caboclo (Heterocoma erecta)
endemic to the rocky fields of Bahia and classified as endangered
is something that stands out in the Chapada
As the name Cachoeira Encantada — Enchanted Waterfall — already announces
and more and more people are discovering the charms of Serra da Chapadinha
I guide three times a month,” says Sidney
especially compared with the flow in the neighboring national park
but it represents an economic alternative and a tool for valuing the heritage that is Serra da Chapadinha
it is necessary to protect the nature that finds refuge there
Railroad and mine projects stir up anxiety in rural Brazil communities
Banner image: A panoramic view of Serra da Chapadinha
The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa
as protected areas become battlegrounds over history
and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss
Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins
and trying to forge a path forward […]
THE BEST OF THE AMERICAN LATINO & MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE
In the southeastern portion of Chapada Diamantina
a territory of resistance known as Serra da Ch
a territory of resistance known as Serra da Chapadinha has revealed 15 previously undocumented cavities in Brazil
registered by the São Paulo-based collectives Environmental Conservation Institute of Morro Agudo (ICAMA) and Laje Seca Speleology Group (GELS)
Beneath the surface lies a subterranean heritage untouched by science
with undeniable potential — yet under daily threat
and especially the nearly 15,000 hectares authorized for mineral prospecting clash with springs
rock paintings etched into fragile sandstone monuments
and previously unknown arenitic caves hidden within 300-meter-high cliff faces — in addition to forming one of the main groundwater recharge zones for the capital city of Salvador
and speleothems that urgently require descriptive scientific studies
with its unstable rock formations and potential for over 100 meters of development
along with the nearby Rolada Abyss — showing negative-relief features similar to other sinkholes and possibly harboring archaeological material — also stand out as significant discoveries
All the cavities have been officially registered in the national speleological databases
bringing to light complex systems of shelters
and hollows of global ecological and anthropological significance
it is through the darkness of the underground that the existence of so many other cavities is revealed — precisely in areas now under threat from mining
These formations play an essential role in water regulation
and the safeguarding of geological and historical heritage
IMAGE 4 – ROCK PAINTINGS AT PEDRA DO CABOCLO
as advocated by the movement “Save Serra da Chapadinha”
Discovering 15 caves in just two days makes us question how much remains undiscovered
And both are being stolen by the pressure of a state still ruled by coronelismo — a deeply rooted
authoritarian model of local power in Brazil that survives behind progressive rhetoric but continues to foster destruction in practice.If the spring runs dry
and the ecology suffers — who will pay the price of thirst
How much is the anguish of a deteriorating world worth
THE BEST OF THE AMERICAN MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE
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