Minas Gerais Municipalities Allocate Only 1% of Spending to Environmental Management

Municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil, have allocated an average of just 1% of their total expenditures to environmental management over the past 12 years, according to a study by the State Audit Court of Minas Gerais (TCE-MG). This places environmental management as the 12th priority in municipal investment rankings between 2014 and 2026. For instance, Belo Horizonte committed R$96 million, or 0.9% of its expenses, by June of this year. Other cities showed even lower percentages: Contagem at 0.7%, Ribeirão das Neves at 0.1%, Uberaba at 0.02%, Ipatinga at 0.07%, and Governador Valadares at a mere 0.007%. A significant concern highlighted by the TCE-MG is that 80% to 90% of these environmental funds are spent reactively, addressing disasters after they occur, rather than on preventative measures. Experts are worried about this lack of investment in prevention, especially with the predicted strong El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to bring higher temperatures, increased fires, and poor air quality to Minas Gerais, alongside a greater risk of diseases like dengue, zika, and chikungunya. Specialists emphasize the need for preparedness from civil defense and health systems, alongside public policies for impact mitigation and citizen awareness. They also call for new governance models and values to address the realities of climate change, noting that current urban planning is ill-suited to changing rain and drought patterns. While some municipalities, like Belo Horizonte and Contagem, reported increased environmental spending and specific projects, others did not respond to inquiries.