Winners present the main points of their work in an online ceremony
The research of Patrick Calvano Kuchlerby the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) in partnership with Embrapa Solos, which dealt with the challenges of measuring the implementation of the ABC Plan - Low Carbon Agriculture, was the winner of the 3rd edition of the MapBiomas Award in the General category. The author sought to establish a protocol for monitoring actions, based on the MapBiomas methodology and its classes related to agriculture, and presented an innovative approach to monitoring integrated crop and livestock systems (ILP).
In second place, in the General category, was the work by Renato Crouzeilles Pereira Rocha, by the International Institute for Sustainability (IIS), which developed a model with scenarios related to the natural regeneration of the Atlantic Forest. These and four other winning entries were presented at the awards event for the 3rd edition of the MapBiomas Prize, held on July 8, with live broadcast on youtube.com/mapbiomasbrasil.
New to this edition, the Outstanding Public Policy Applications category awarded José Mário Fraga Miranda, from the 17th Jungle Infantry Brigade - Porto Velho, with the Guardians of the Amazon platform, which provides relevant data and resources for protecting the Amazon, making it easier to combat environmental crimes such as deforestation. The initiative has a mobile app and a web module, restricted to partner agencies, which can verify reports from app users.
Another new feature of this year's award was the possibility for entries to use data or quote from any of the MapBiomas Network initiatives. In the Young category, first place used information from the mapping of the Chaco. Sofía María Chevallier Boutell, from the Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires (FAUBA), wrote a a study on how changes in land use, in the Argentine Chaco Seco, such as the conversion of native vegetation to agriculture and pasture, has an impact on the provision of ecosystem services. In second place is the work of Danylo M. Magalhães, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), evaluated the effects of the creation of Conservation Units, Indigenous and Quilombola Territories from 1985 to 2018 in the evolution of forest suppression.
The judging panel also awarded an honorable mention in the Youth category. Nicolli Albuquerque de Carvalho, from the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), evaluated land use changes that occurred in four river basins in the APA Costa dos Corais in Alagoas to understand the impacts on the marine coastal environment.
At the awards event, the general coordinator of MapBiomas, Tasso Azevedo, highlighted the main objective of the award: to make knowledge about land cover accessible. "Our aim is to promote conservation and mitigate impacts, but it's data. It's people who make what we produce relevant, otherwise it's just data and maps. We're happy to encourage and recognize those who use MapBiomas," he said.
Record number of entries
This year's edition saw a record number of submissions. There were 160 entries in the three categories: General, Youth and Outstanding Public Policy Applications. A 60% increase in the number of entries compared to the previous year. This year, the presence of young people and those over 30 was balanced. Land Use was the predominant theme, followed by Diversity. There were 150 scientific articles published with MapBiomas references in 2020 alone and this number is growing year on year.
"With each edition of the MapBiomas Award, the number, regions and countries of the participants increases, as does the quality of the work. This growth goes hand in hand with the advancement of the products of the MapBiomas initiatives, including new applications for both public policies and science in the country. And the works entered for this award reflect this," said MapBiomas' scientific coordinator, Júlia Shimbo, when entries closed.
Entries came from 25 of Brazil's 26 states and the Federal District. Only Acre did not participate. Last year, there were 17 states, and in the first edition, 11 states. This year there were also entries from France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The 3rd edition of the MapBiomas Award is being held in partnership with the Ciência Hoje Institute.
This year, papers could be submitted that cited or used data from any of the MapBiomas initiatives - such as the MapBiomas Brasil, MapBiomas Amazônia and MapBiomas Chaco collections or information from MapBiomas Alerta, MapBiomas Árida and Geocovid MapBiomas.
This year's edition awarded the winners R$50,000 (divided, according to the notice, between the 1st and 2nd place works in the General and Youth categories and the Outstanding Applications for Public Policy). In addition, the winners will receive an annual subscription to Ciência Hoje digital magazine and a scholarship for a course in geoprocessing satellite images using Google Earth Engine promoted by Solved.
Browse the 6th edition of the MapBiomas Award and find out more about this edition and the winners of previous editions.