Feb 5, 2013

The board of directors of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) has approved two more projects that will be supported by the Amazon Fund, in the total amount of R$ 27.3 million.

One of these projects, in the amount of R$ 18.8 million, is earmarked for the Brazilian Institute of Municipal Administration (Ibam) to strengthen environmental management in municipalities of the Amazon Biome. Another project, amounting to R$ 8.5 million, is for the Sustainable Development Institute of Mamirauá (IDSM) and aims at conducting research, development and dissemination of knowledge in management and participative management.

Ibam will invest in technical training aimed at improving environmental management at regional municipal agencies and is expected to reach the 529 municipalities in the Amazon Biome spread across nine states in the Legal Amazon (Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins). The estimated completion time is 48 months.

The IDSM’s project aims at strengthening research and efforts related to sustainable ecosystem management, environmental education and protection, as well as monitoring.        With this, it will contribute to preserving the standing forest, by generating economic alternatives to growth-fostering activities, and improving the management of natural resources.
 
Efforts will be carried out in two Conservation Units (CUs) classified as Sustainable Development Reserves of Mamirauá and Amaná, created by the state of Amazonas. Funding will be disbursed in up to 60 months according to the project execution schedule.

Worthy of note is the fact that the IDSM won Finep’s 2012 Innovation Award in the Social Technology category.

With both projects, Ibam’s and IDSM’s, the Amazon Fund ended 2012 with 36 approved projects in the amount of $ 439.8 million.