RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The shutdown of the supercomputer at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) due to lack of public funds may compromise weather forecasts throughout the country as of August, alerted the Brazilian Institute for Environmental Protection (PROAM), which has filed a request with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) to maintain the meteorological monitoring.
According to the entity, the measure is even more serious given the current moment in the country, experiencing its worst water crisis in 91 years. The document has also been forwarded to the Federal Audit Court and the public defenders of the Southeast, South and Midwest regions.
“It is unacceptable that at a time like this, with the water crisis expected in the second half of the year, with rising energy prices and the risk of water rationing, the supercomputer is turned off, with the argument of lack of funds,” says PROAM’s president Carlos Bocuhy.
Given the lack of funds, INPE is about to shut down the Tupã supercomputer for the first time in history. The equipment is the most powerful in South America and one of the 500 in the world for weather and climate forecasting, as well as collecting meteorological data and issuing climate alerts.
“There will be losses, for example, in monitoring wildfires in Brazil, as well as droughts and climate changes in the country, which potentiate damage to biodiversity,” says Yara Schaeffer-Novelli, a professor at the University of São Paulo.
Of the R$76 (US$15.1) million earmarked this year for maintaining INPE’s activities, only R$44.7 million have been released so far. Moreover, this is the lowest budget in the agency’s history and, unless the remaining funds are sent, the equipment will be turned off by August – the supercomputer consumes R$5 million per year.