This year, Amazônia celebrates twenty years of dedicated efforts to protect the Amazon and promote sustainable development for local communities. This milestone represents not only the completion of two decades of work but also a testament to the determination that has driven us to face and overcome each challenge along the way.

Our achievements

Over these years, Amazônia ETS has achieved significant milestones. We have initiated and strengthened conservation projects that have helped preserve key areas of the Amazon rainforest, safeguarding a natural heritage of immeasurable value. Thanks to collaboration with researchers, local communities, and international organizations, we have been able to develop environmental monitoring programs, natural resource management, and biodiversity protection, all essential for maintaining the balance of the Amazon ecosystem.

In the educational field, our awareness and training programs have reached a great number of people, drawing attention to the importance of adopting sustainable practices. We firmly believe that environmental conservation cannot exist without education, and we are proud to have inspired new generations to care for nature and defend their planet.

The challenges and difficulties overcome

The journey of Amazônia has not been without obstacles. Over the last twenty years, we have faced complex situations, economic difficulties, and challenges tied to the context in which we operate. Our mission has demanded tenacity and the ability to adapt quickly to changes, without ever losing sight of our goal: to protect the Amazon and support the communities that inhabit it.

A look to the future

We look to the future with hope and determination. In the coming years, we want to strengthen and expand our projects, focusing on new initiatives that can ensure sustainable resource management and greater autonomy for local communities. The environmental and social challenges ahead require a joint effort and collaboration from all who share our values.

We will strive to establish new partnerships with local and international organizations to extend our reach and offer ever more innovative and sustainable solutions.

Thanks to our supporters

This twentieth anniversary is an opportunity to thank all those who have supported us and believed in our mission. Without the contribution and trust of our partners and supporters, none of this would have been possible. Our commitment is also dedicated to you, with the hope of continuing, together, to work for the protection of the Amazon.

The road is still long, but each step brings us closer to our goal: a world where the rainforest and its communities can thrive.

Photo by Carla Oliveira

Emanuela Evangelista has been announced as the winner of the second edition of the Campiello Natura – Venice Gardens Foundation Award for her book “Amazzonia. Una vita nel cuore della foresta” (Editori Laterza).

The award ceremony will take place on Saturday 21 September at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, during the final evening of the 62nd edition of the Campiello Award. The award will be presented by Adele Re Rebaudengo, President of the Venice Gardens Foundation.
The Campiello Natura – Venice Gardens Foundation Award, born from the synergy between the Il Campiello Foundation and the Venice Gardens Foundation, celebrates literature that explores the urgent need to re-establish a harmonious balance with nature.

Through the evocative power of the written word, the award aims to inspire respectful dialogues and conscious reflections, in an era in which nature is seriously threatened.The Jury of Literature of the Campiello Award has awarded Emanuela Evangelista for its passionate and scientifically documented testimony on the current situation of the Amazon. The work denounces the dangers of deforestation and the irresponsible use of natural resources, combining the objectivity of the scientist with the passion of the activist. The book gives voice not only to measurable data, but also to the growing self-awareness of indigenous populations, making it a reportage of great relevance.

Emanuela Evangelista will be present at the award ceremony on Saturday 21 September and will take part in a series of subsequent meetings, where she will have the opportunity to explore the themes of her book and dialogue with the public.

Monday 23 September at 6.00 pm, Royal Gardens of Venice Adele Re Rebaudengo, President of the Venice Gardens Foundation presents the book together with the author.

Tuesday 24 September at 6.30 pm Villa da Schio, Castel Gomberto – Vicenza. Giustino Mezzalira, director of the research and agroforestry management section of Veneto Agricoltura, will dialogue with the author.

Tuesday 1 October at 5.30 pm at Bosco in Città – Giardino d’Acqua in Milan. Words in the garden: the journalist Emanuela Rosa-Clot will present the book together with the author. The meeting, organized in collaboration with the magazine Gardenia, will be held at Bosco in città to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a large green lung, created in 1974 on the initiative of Italia Nostra on land granted by the Municipality of Milan.

Sunday 6 October at 10 am at the Botanical Garden in Lucca as part of the PianetaTerra festival, Emanuela Evangelista will hold the conference entitled ‘The wild road. Stories of humans and non-humans.

Monday 7 October at 6 pm Libreria Panisperna 220 in Rome the journalist Lino Lombardi will present the book together with the author.

Learn about the book here (in Italian).

The Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world, is a vital biome for our planet.

Known for its incredible biodiversity and as a significant carbon sink, this region plays a key role in the global climate balance. However, the Amazon is under increasing threat due to global warming and human activities, such as deforestation and mining.

The Amazon rainforest, which is home to 13% of all terrestrial trees and the world’s longest river, the Amazon River, is losing ground at an alarming rate. About 18% of the original forest cover has already disappeared, equivalent to an area twice the size of Germany. This deforestation not only destroys vital habitats but also releases enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, further accelerating climate change.

The soil and vegetation of the forest contain over 150 billion tons of carbon, which is released as carbon dioxide when the forest is cut down. Additionally, human activity also contributes to the emission of other greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane, which further aggravate the problem. These gases not only warm the planet but also alter the ocean current system, of which the Amazon is a fundamental component, contributing with one-fifth of the global freshwater discharge.

The loss of the Amazon rainforest has devastating consequences not only for local biodiversity but also for the global climate balance. Scientists estimate that we could be just 15-30 years away from the point of no return, a moment when Amazonian ecosystems will collapse irreversibly, transforming the rainforest into a dry environment, similar to a savanna.

This scenario would have catastrophic repercussions for the global climate, with effects including an increase in global temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and a higher frequency of extreme weather events. Preserving the Amazon is therefore crucial not only for local populations and biodiversity but for the entire planet.

ETS stands for “Ente del Terzo Settore” (Third Sector Entity), a new designation replacing the term “Onlus” for all organizations of our nature.

Our work does not change, our mission does not change, but our official name is now compliant with the law and becomes “Associazione Amazonia Milano ETS”. For you, our friends and supporters, we will continue to be Amazônia, the simple name that has characterized us for twenty years, with a single “z” as in Portuguese!

The new Third Sector Code also required us to register with the telematic registry established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, so now our organization is registered in the National Single Register of the Third Sector, also known as RUNTS.

In short, always in compliance to ensure full transparency of our work.