Technical cooperation between the Brazilian Speleological Society, Votorantim Cimentos and the Biosphere Reserve of the Atlantic Rainforest

The agreement of the technical-financial cooperation between Votorantim Cimentos (VC), The Institute of Friends of the Biosphere Reserve of the Atlantic Coastal Rain Forest (RBMA) and the Brazilian Society of Speleology (SBE) was designed to orient actions for the preservation of the national speleological heritage and the Atlantic Coastal Rain Forest, as well as developing good environmental practices for mining in karst areas.

These objectives are grouped into areas of action:

  1. Guide for good Environmental practices  for mining in karst areas
  2. Program for research and education about caves and karst areas
  3. Program for the conservation and management of caves and karst areas
  4. Program for the identification and conservation of socio-environmental assets in areas of the Atlantic Coastal Rain Forest

Find out about the projects

Guide of Good Environmental Practices for Mining

  • Furnish technical information so that Votorantim Cimentos can structure and implement a manual for good practices and measure its performance using indicators;
  • Furnish technical support for the actions of preservation/conservation of the speleological heritage and the Atlantic Coastal Rain Forest in property of Votorantim Cimentos and recommend actions for preservation, conservation and protection of karst areas for external auditors;
  • Generate information and data to orient public policies and improve legal instruments for the protection and management of caves and mining in karst areas or inserted in areas of the Atlantic Coastal Rain Forest;
  • Articulate with the competent organs the utilization of resources for enviromental compensation from new mining undertakings for  research in support of the speleolgical heritage and its protection and management;
  • Publicize good practices for the mining of limestone for companies which accept a commitment to this protocol and contribute in the definition of criteria and procedures for -environmental certification of mining in karst areas;
  • Publicize the guide for good practices and make it available for all interested sectors, promoting publication, workshops, insertion in websites, and any other media available.

Program for Research into the Speleological Heritage 

  • Encourage and promote projects of research, prospection, and documentation of the speleological heritage, as well as the publication of books, scientific articles, or an atlas of caves and karst areas;
  • Make the studies conducted by Votorantim Cimentos available to the speleological community, as well as any other information about the actions of preservation/conservation of the speleological heritage developed in its undertakings;
  • Liberate areas belonging to Votorantim Cimentos with karst potential (or of interest to the speleological community or the Biosphere Reserve of the Atlantic Coastal Rainforest)  Liberar para estudos as áreas com potencial cárstico ou outras de interesse da comunidade espeleológica ou da Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlântica for the development of speleology and Environmental conservation, attempting to furnish local logistic support and orientation, as well as the establsihgment of partnerships;
  • Participate in and support technical events and seminars for the exchange of knowledge about karst and the speleological heritage  and related ecosystems;
  • Publish studies in periodic technical-scientific meetings of speleology when promoted by the speleological community;
  • Make a scientific metric survey about scientific production related to the speleological heritage, furnishing support for the elaboration of a general catalogue of research about the speleological heritage and other analytic data about this production.