Page 98 - Economia Azul - versão: inglês

one first-line hydro-oceanographic vessel, the Navy. In addition, the Brazilian State will construction of a legal framework favorable set of laws, decrees and infra-legal norms.
equipped to carry out the necessary activities need to rely on deep sea equipment, such to the occupation, use and sustainable ex- This immense legal confusion generates
and surveys, which needs to receive resourc- as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), au- ploitation of the resources of the RGR. imprecision and uncertainty for everyone,
es, management and projects to navigate tonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs - Au- This takes time, both because of the from licensing authorities to universities
and research, not only on the RGR: the Hy- tonomous Underwater Vehicles), rock drills, volume of norms that cross-reference eco- and companies seeking research or explo-
dro-oceanographic Research Vessel Vital de among others, as well as the guarantee of nomic activity, indistinctly, for activities on ration licenses, for example. How will the
Oliveira, commissioned by the Navy. In addi- a budget that ensures their maintenance land or sea, and because of the legislative environmental licensing of activities at the
tion, the Brazilian State will need to rely on and operations, in addition to a team duly process that an eventual reform of norms RGR, at 4,000 m depth and 1,000 km from
deep sea equipment, such as remotely oper- trained to operate this equipment. would demand. There would be dozens, if the coast, be? Indeed, Brazil’s operational
ated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwa- Finally, Brazil needs a plan to “occupy” not hundreds, of norms in review, focusing experience with Petrobras and the explora-
ter vehicles (AUVs - Autonomous Underwater the RGR as soon as possible, which allows it on the powers of various committees in the tion of oil and gas in ultra-deep waters will
Vehicles), rock drills, among others, as well as to be studied with more focus and intensity, House and Senate. teach a lot to Brazilian deep-sea activities
the guarantee of a budget that ensures their in addition to being monitored. It is neces- It is necessary to start facing this long jour- such as RGR. Therefore, considering the re-
maintenance and operations, in addition to a sary to “plant a flag” there . ney. Then, Brazil can legislate on the RGR. vision of Brazilian legislation for the sea is a
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team duly trained to operate this equipment. . Medium and long-term actions As the RGR is part of the continental shelf necessary measure, if not mandatory.
Finally, Brazil needs a plan to “occupy” In the medium and long term, Brazil (MORE, 2018), according to articles 76 and Without legal certainty, there is no invest-
the RGR as soon as possible, allowing it to will face political-strategic, legal and tech- 77 of the UNCLOS, Brazil can establish in its ment. And the mining of the sea in general,
be studied with more focus and intensity and nological challenges. Next, each of these geographic space, exclusively way, rules and not just the RGR, will demand huge invest-
monitored. Therefore, it is necessary to “plant challenges will be analyzed individually. regulations establishing: the exercise of sover- ments in time, technology, innovation and
a flag” there.In the short term, it is impera- Political-strategic challenges eign rights in the form of the article 77 of the human resources, which are expected to be
tive to create a database, materials and stud- Given the high degree of investment, UNCLOS; the regulation of marine scientific made by the State itself, its state-owned or
ies, eventually managed by the SGB-CPRM, especially for deep-sea exploration (Brazil’s research, the protection and preservation of mixed companies, private companies, by ac-
which already has expertise and presence at experience in oil and gas shows how ex- the marine environment, as well as the con- ademia or in partnerships.
RGR, with human resources to interpret and pensive these activities are in terms of time, struction, operation and use of all types of Technological challenges
guide them strategically, within a plan of capital, and human resources training), artificial islands, installations and structures The technological challenges arising
action and, therefore, in line with a mining, Brazil will need to improve a necessary ini- on the ground and underground; the right from the exploration of the sea basically de-
scientific, technological and energy policy tial action plan to manage, under a politi- to lay submarine pipelines and cables; the pend on two variables: (i) the distance from
for the Brazilian sea, which must not only in- cal-strategic approach, including the risk of creation of artificial islands, installations and the coast and (ii) the depth of the deposit,
tegrate the National Mining Plan 2050 but the proposed extension of the continental structures, safety zones of reasonable width, which in this case is the distance between
also be adequate, and be considered, in the shelf in the RGR with the UN being extend- in which it can take adequate measures to the water surface and the seabed. Distance
ongoing review of the National Policy for the ed indefinitely, or being abandoned due guarantee both the safety of navigation and directly affects logistics and installation
Resources of the Sea (Decree 5.377/2005). to a technical infeasibility. Nevertheless, that of artificial islands, installations or struc- costs, while depth conditions the perfor-
Still in the short term, Brazil has only above all, Brazil will need to decide what tures, taking into account the applicable in- mance of the equipment and its efficiency
one first-line hydro-oceanographic vessel, luck it wants to give future generations of ternational standards (articles 60 (4) and (5) in operating at competitive costs.
equipped to carry out the necessary activ- Brazilians concerning the sea’s riches. of UNCLOS); and the right to conduct naval Exploration in waters up to 80 meters
ities and surveys, which needs to receive Legal challenges patrol in these security zones. deep takes place under the most convention-
resources, management and projects to An appropriate step to favor investment In addition, due to territorial jurisdiction, al conditions for dredging material from the
navigate and research not only on the RGR: and research opportunities, especially in the it is essential to remember that all other seabed, as is the case with the exploration
the NPqHo (Hydroceanographic Research medium and long term, given the new le- Brazilian laws apply to the RGR, a numer- of gold in Alaska, precious stones in some
Vessel) Vital de Oliveira, commissioned in gal situation of the RGR, is to consider the ous and often disordered and unintelligible African countries and limestone in France.

96 BLUE ECONOMY Blue Amazon: The Rio Grande Rise 97