Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office v. Federal Government, National Water Agency, and others (Environmental crisis in the Grande Sertão Veredas National Park)

In November 2025, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office filed a Public Civil Action, with a request for preliminary injunction, against the Federal Government, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the State of Minas Gerais, the State of Bahia, the State Environmental Foundation (FEAM), the State Forestry Institute (IEF), the Minas Gerais Water Management Institute (IGAM), and the Institute of Environment and Water Resources (INEMA). Through the lawsuit, Plaintiff seeks to enable the restructuring of these environmental agencies with regard to the mismatch between the development of economic activities in the region of the Grande Sertão Veredas National Park (PNGSV) and the protection of this federal conservation unit, whose extension covers areas of Minas Gerais and Bahia. Plaintiff argues that excessive water use for agricultural irrigation and deforestation around the PNGSV affect the water availability of the Cariranha River basin, further exacerbating the climate crisis. It argues that the defendant environmental agencies adopt outdated and non-integrated methodologies—disregarding seasonality, the effects of climate change, and changes in land use—both in relation to water-use permits and to the suppression of native vegetation. The complaint highlights the role of the veredas (wetlands) in the hydrodynamics of the Cerrado biome, acting as natural springs and regulators of the water regime. Plaintiff requests an injunction suspending the water resource permits and suppressing native vegetation until the criteria and procedures adopted by the competent environmental agencies are reviewed. On the merits, it requests: i) the recognition and definition of the structural problem consisting of the damage caused to the PNGSV (São Francisco River Basin National Park), in addition to the elaboration of a Regional Structural Plan in collaboration with the Regional Committee of the São Francisco River Basin; ii) measures to update and integrate environmental and water management; iii) incorporate climate assessment into the procedures for granting permits and authorizing vegetation suppression.