Lead institution: Aliança da Terra

The project aims to implement an innovative and replicable Community-Based Integrated Fire Management (CBIFM) model in three protected areas in the State of Minas Gerais: Serra do Cabral State Park, Verde Grande State Park, and Lagoa do Cajueiro State Park. The initiative seeks to strengthen territorial governance, bridge traditional knowledge and scientific research, and advance the conservation of Cerrado biodiversity through collaborative actions engaging park managers, local communities, and researchers.

The project is organized around three interconnected objectives:

1. Enhance Community-Based Integrated Fire Management (CBIFM) governance in the target areas through capacity building, outreach, and strategic coordination among local stakeholders.

2. Foster social and institutional collaboration to design and implement mosaic-based Integrated Fire Management (IFM) strategies across protected areas in the State of Minas Gerais.

3. Assess the ecological effects of fire through applied research on multiple taxonomic groups in Serra do Cabral State Park.

With a planned duration of 24 months, the project is expected to achieve the following key outcomes:

Enhanced local governance and shared stewardship of fire management, driven by community engagement and the training of volunteer and community-based fire brigades, with a strong emphasis on the participation of women and youth; meaningful integration of traditional knowledge and academic research, enabling adaptive, context-specific, and effective approaches to Cerrado conservation; operationalization of Integrated Fire Management Plans (IFMPs) through targeted technical and logistical support for prescribed burns in Serra do Cabral State Park, strengthening the socio-environmental resilience of both landscapes and local communities; production of applied scientific evidence, supporting the refinement and scaling of fire management strategies grounded in robust scientific data.

Aligned with Brazil’s National Integrated Fire Management Policy (NIFMP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this proposal advances a comprehensive approach to reducing wildfire risks, conserving Cerrado biodiversity, and sustaining ecosystem services, while fostering more equitable and inclusive environmental governance.

By implementing this initiative, the project takes an important step toward strengthening territorial resilience and long-term sustainability, with clear potential for replication across other regions of the Cerrado biome.