134 million seeds restore hillsides after Brazil landslides
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In February 2023, São Sebastião, a coastal city in São Paulo state, Brazil, experienced severe flooding and landslides that killed 64 people and displaced thousands more.
The region received 683 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, the highest amount ever recorded for that period in the country. The Instituto Conservação Costeira (ICC) had studied the area for over a decade and predicted the disaster, citing government inaction as a factor in the high number of child fatalities.
Following the landslides, more than 200 hectares of Atlantic Forest were destroyed, leaving 853 scars on the landscape. To address the environmental damage, the ICC launched the Restaura Litoral project. Over the past three years, the project dispersed 134 million native seeds using drones. Currently nearing completion, the Restaura Litoral project has already achieved over 80% forest cover on the restored hillsides.
Agronomist Andre Motta Waetge, coordinator of the project, explained they aimed to accelerate the natural regeneration of the Atlantic Forest, one of Brazil’s most important forest areas, rather than replace it. Experts note that reforestation must be combined with drainage recovery, erosion control, and land-use planning, especially given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and the tendency for low-income populations to occupy high-risk land.
