Jan 28, 2014

• The state of Amazonas will receive R$ 16.4 million for sustainable environmental management, benefiting a population of 35,000 indigenous people

The Amazon Fund, managed by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES ) has approved support in the amount of R$ 16.4 million for environmental sustainability in the state of Amazonas to develop a management project on indigenous land. 

The program, slated for completion in 36 months, covers approximately 50% of the indigenous territories in the state (16.2 million hectares), directly and indirectly benefiting a population of 35,000 indigenous people.

Indigenous people, who are the Amazon Fund’s target audience in this case, defined the production activities in the project themselves, aligning them to meet the goals of the National Policy on Environmental and Territorial Management of Indigenous Land (PNGATI). 

The aim is to reduce exploratory activities that lead to the degradation of natural resources by investing in the region to foster monitoring, as well as institutional strengthening local associations.

The Fund's resources will also be earmarked for training and promoting sustainable production activities on 28 indigenous lands, in 15 municipalities in the state of Amazonas. 

The project is structured into seven main components: Environmental Management Plans for Indigenous Land; sustainable family farming; sustainable management of forest products; developing production and trade of Indigenous arts and crafts, as well as managed fishing activities and aquaculture; institutionally strengthening the State Secretariat for Indigenous People in the Amazon (Seind), the only State Secretariat in Brazil devoted exclusively to indigenous people’s interests. 

Historically, indigenous lands hold one of the lowest rates of deforestation among the various categories of protected areas. Still, natural resources in these areas are suffering more and more pressure, especially in regions bordering large highways and rivers with intense traffic. 

The project includes implements two environmental management plans and monitoring in two bases, development of 28 projects for sustainable family farming, as well as managed fishing activities and aquaculture; fostering indigenous arts and crafts, with the construction of five production and storage centers in villages, with and three points of sale, besides training for 2,420 indigenous people on issues related to the project. 

Amazon Fund – Created in 2008, the Amazon Fund already has 92 projects in its portfolio, totaling R$ 1.5 billion. Of this total, some 45 projects, amounting to R$ 628 million, have already been awarded. The Fund raises donations for non-reimbursable investments in preventing, monitoring and combating deforestation, and efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of the Amazon biome. The Government of Norway, the German Development Bank KfW and Petrobras have all sent resources to the Amazon Fund.

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