The same question — "is my soil hydromorphic?" — leads to completely different documents depending on a second question that few producers ask before contacting SEMA: is the project new, or is it the regularization of an existing drain? CONSEMA Resolution nº 36/2026 organizes this into a six-line table. This article translates that table for your case.
The acronyms, in simple Portuguese
Before the table, it’s worth understanding what each modality actually means:
- EIA/RIMA (Environmental Impact Study + Environmental Impact Report) — the most complete and lengthy procedure in Brazilian environmental licensing. Reserved for larger new projects on hydromorphic soil.
- Environmental Diagnosis — a technical study to characterize the area, leaner than a full EIA/RIMA, but still technically demanding.
- RCA (Environmental Control Report) — a study used for new projects on non-hydromorphic soil.
- PCA (Environmental Control Plan) — a plan for control and mitigation measures, used in regularization cases.
- LAU (Unique Environmental License) — a single-stage process, without the separate preliminary/installation/operation phases. It’s the path for those regularizing an already implemented activity — much faster than the full procedure for new projects.
- Trifásico Rite — the classic path of three sequential licenses (preliminary, installation, operation), reserved for new projects.
The table: your case in one line
Annex I of the resolution crosses two variables — soil type and project situation — to define the required modality:
| Situation | Required Study | Rite |
|---|---|---|
| New project on hydromorphic soil, over 260 ha | EIA/RIMA | Trifásico |
| New project on hydromorphic soil, up to 260 ha | Environmental Diagnosis | Trifásico |
| New project on non-hydromorphic soil | RCA | Trifásico |
| Regularization on hydromorphic soil | Environmental Diagnosis | LAU |
| Regularization on non-hydromorphic soil | PCA | LAU |
| Regularization in consolidated area, any soil | PCA | LAU |
Why the same soil question yields different answers
The most confusing point is this: “is my soil hydromorphic?” alone does not define the document — it only defines half of the equation. The other half is whether the project is new or already exists on the land. Compare lines 2 and 4 of the table: both require an Environmental Diagnosis, but one follows the Trifásico rite (new project) and the other the LAU, single-stage rite (regularization). The technical characterization document is similar — the administrative process around it is quite different, and the LAU tends to be faster because it doesn’t have the three separate stages of the trifásico.
Those who already have an implemented system and are treating the process as if they were applying for a license for a new project are, in practice, choosing the slower and more expensive path unnecessarily.
The case of the consolidated area
The last line of the table deserves special attention: regularization in a consolidated area requires only a PCA and the LAU rite, regardless of soil type — it’s the only situation where the hydromorphic × non-hydromorphic classification ceases to matter for document selection. This applies to those who meet the specific conditions of a consolidated area according to the Forest Code’s framework — a topic that another article in this series details.
The first step
Before any protocol submission, two pieces of information will determine which line of the table applies to you: the soil classification of the area (hydromorphic or not) and whether the drain already exists on the land or will be installed. With these two answers, the licensing modality ceases to be a doubt.
This table helps understand the path — but assembling the process itself (technical studies, documents, submission with SEMA) requires specialized support. To understand the complete overview of CONSEMA Resolution nº 36, the main article of the series covers deadlines, soil criteria, and what changes for each situation. And if you are still evaluating whether your area needs drainage, the drainage diagnosis is the starting point with the Techduto technical team.
