Project description

Title: Management of natural nesources in the várzeas, Amazon
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Brazil
Lead executing agency: Brazilian environmental authority (IBAMA)
Overall term: July 2001 to December 2007

Context

The biodiversity of the várzeas, or the Amazon’s floodplains, make them a unique biotope and an invaluable gene pool. However, they are also ecologically very fragile. The area’s growing exploitation by inhabitants, new settlers and traders presents a threat not only to its biodiversity but also to the livelihood of the very people living there. Consequent overexploitation of the natural resources, which far exceeds the reproductive capacity of the target species, results in irreversible degradation of the flora and fauna that constitute the basis of existence in the area. Furthermore, inappropriate customary practices such as selective catch of juveniles or spawners, unsustainable logging, lack of reforestation and incorrect soil management impact negatively on the resources.

Objective

To involve public and private institutions in the management and administration to improve environmental monitoring in the várzeas.

Approach

The key elements are strengthening the management capacity of state and civil society organisations and introducing a co-management system. These facilitate sustainable environmental management that minimises environmental damage while optimising income-generating opportunities for the target group. The project works on three levels to achieve direct impacts: 

• Preparation of strategic studies in order to fill in information gaps 
• Implementation of pilot projects to review and disseminate promising development approaches and
• Setting up of a Geographical Information System (GIS) for spatial planning in order to determine the availability of resources.

Results achieved so far

Major expected impacts include facilitation of access to public and private services (health, education, etc.), encouragement of responsible exploitation of natural resources and highlighting of potential conflicts among competing users. The involvement of women will improve their status in the community and act as a stabilising factor in social co-existence. Gender equality is an important secondary goal of the project.
The project activities (seminars, radio programmes, etc.) have raised the awareness of target groups in the pilot regions. Exploitation agreements and the setting up of monitoring structures have enhanced local income-generating opportunities, helped manage fish resources adequately and optimised monitoring systems.