Eyes Wild Open

More than $1.4 billion was spent on Sivam,
which consists of a monitoring system for
the whole Amazon basin region

On July 25, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso inaugurated the Sivam (Sistema de Vigilância do Amazonas—Amazon Vigilance System). During the ceremony, the Minister of Defense, Geraldo Quintão, explained that the system will monitor 5.2 million square kilometers of Brazil's Amazon region where 9 states are located. Quintão called the implementation of the system a political act by the State in defense of its sovereignty within the framework of a geo-strategic policy.

With three-fourths of the system now operational, Quintão also mentioned that it was "imperative" that funding for the remaining 25 percent of the system be available. Cardoso said that the Sivam project surprised the world by its boldness, and was developed exclusively by Brazilians.

The Sivam is part of the SIPAM (Sistema de Proteção do Amazonas—Amazon Protection System). More than $1.4 billion was spent on Sivam, which consists of a monitoring system for the whole Amazon basin region, which besides Brazil, includes parts of Bolivia, Colombia and Peru.

With regard to the Colombian region, the concern is with security and the movement of persons, boats and aircraft along the border with Brazil, which stretches for 1,600 kilometers. It is an area where cocaine is grown. Peru and Bolivia are concerned with environmental information that Sivam will furnish from data collected by 200 weather and hydrological platforms scattered throughout the region.

The Amazon Vigilance System is part of a strategic plan to protect the Amazon flora and fauna. The Amazon has the world's greatest variety of animal and vegetable life and plays a key role in the planet's weather and ecological equilibrium. The Amazon covers 61 percent of Brazil's total territory, contains one-third of all the forests in the world and 30 percent of all biodiversity that has been cataloged. It also contains the world's biggest amount of fresh water.

In the recent past, the Amazon has undergone serious problems, such as inadequate human occupation resulting in predatory farming, reduction of biodiversity, illegal lumbering and environmental degradation. Urban areas in the Amazon have had trouble with population concentrations, deterioration of health services and reduced levels of human well-being.

Three new aircraft, which will operate as part of Sivam, were incorporated into the Brazilian Air Force. The planes were manufactured in Brazil by Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica SA). The same company will furnish another five planes in the near future.

According to the Air Force, with the aircraft in operation Brazil will be able to protect its sovereignty by detecting any invasion of its airspace. Information collected by Sivam could be passed on to Colombia. The matter was discussed in a meeting between Cardoso and Colombia's president-elect Alvaro Uribe.

According to Foreign Minister, Celso Lafer, Uribe expressed interest in the possibility. Said Lafer, "Brazil is aware of the fact that Colombia must decide what is appropriate, after all, it is responsible for its own public security."

This information was originally published in the Agência Brasil site at www.radiobras.gov.br 

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