Apr 27, 2021

With the support of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and the Investment Partnership Program (PPI), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) open, on Tuesday, the 27th, the public hearing on the project of the new concession of the Iguaçu National Park, located in Paraná. The objective is to receive contributions, subsidies and suggestions from society.   

The project was structured by BNDES and has investments estimated at R$ 500 million. The main premise for the preparation of the studies was the preservation and conservation of the unit, together with the generation of sustainable income opportunities for the surrounding populations. Iguaçu National Park is a pioneer in Brazil in the involvement of the private sector in the management of conservation units, being today the country’s third most visited destination.

For the superintendent of the Government and Institutional Relationship Area of BNDES, Pedro Bruno Barros de Souza, “one of the greatest virtues of the project is the BNDES’s partnership with the MMA and the ICMBio in the construction of a model that prioritizes the conservation of the unit and the stimulus to the development of the park’s surroundings.”

The Iguaçu National Park was granted to the private sector in the late 1990s. With the end of the current contract nearing, the ICMBio sought support to structure the new competition. Through Decree Nº. 10,147, the park was included in the PPI portfolio, for the purpose of concession of the provision of public services to support the visitation, conservation, protection and management of the unit. Bidding is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Contributions to the hearing may be made electronically at this internet address. Moreover, two Public Hearing sessions will be held, both in person – with the appropriate safety measures due to covid-19 – and in a virtual environment, on May 20th, in Foz do Iguaçu and, on May 21st, in Céu Azul, also in Paraná. See here the documents about the project.

The renewal of the park’s concession will enable the expansion of its capacity to generate revenue, mainly due to the stimulus to the development of other centers for visitation, and the improvement in the infrastructure of the Cataratas Pole, the main one, increasing its operational efficiency and improving the general level of services provided.

About the park – Created in 1939, the Iguaçu National Park is home to the largest remnant of Atlantic forest in Southern Brazil. It protects rich biodiversity, consisting of species representative of Brazilian fauna and flora, some of them threatened with extinction, such as the Brazilian jaguar, puma, yellow-breasted alligator, purple-breasted parrot, harpy eagle, pink peroba, ariticum, araucaria, and many other species of relevant value and scientific interest. Such significant biological variability, added to the unique landscape of Iguaçu Falls, made the park the first conservation unit in Brazil to be established as a Unesco World Natural Heritage Site in 1986.

About BNDES – Founded in 1952 and currently linked to the Ministry of Economy, BNDES is the main instrument of the Federal Government to promote long-term investments in the Brazilian economy. BNDES’s actions focus on the socioenvironmental and economic impact in Brazil. BNDES offers special conditions for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as social investment lines, directed at education and health, family agriculture, sanitation and urban transport.  In crisis situations, BNDES acts in an anticyclical manner and assists in the formulation of solutions for the resumption of economic growth.