Between February 19 and 20, 2025, the first official meeting of the Deliberative Council of the Baixo Rio Branco-Jauaperi Extractive Reserve (Resex) took place. The meeting, held in the Itaquera Community, on the Jauaperi River, brought together various community leaders and local grassroots organizations, as well as government representatives, researchers, and third-sector organizations—including Amazônia and its partner organization Amazon Charitable Trust.                                                                                                                                                          

Brief History of the Creation of the Reserve   

The history of the Baixo Rio Branco-Jauaperi Reserve began in the early 2000s, when traditional residents, riverine communities and Indigenous peoples, supported by civil society organizations, initiated a mobilization process with the federal government to establish a Protected Area in the region. At the time, the territory—situated on the border between the states of Roraima and Amazonas—faced strong pressures from logging interests, agribusiness, and the intensive use of natural resources, especially timber and fishing, due to the abundance of fish in the Jauaperi River.                                                                                                                                 

After 17 years of mobilization and resistance, in 2018, Baixo Rio Branco-Jauaperi Extractive Reserve was finally officially recognized, acknowledging the need to protect local biodiversity and ensure the survival of the extractive population in the region. Read more here.                  

The Importance of Planning and Management   

However, the mere creation of a Protected Area does not, in itself, guarantee the effective protection of the territory and its traditional peoples. It is essential to have planning and investment in resources—both financial and human—to ensure the proper management of the region, under the responsibility of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).  Protected Areas in Brazil follow the guidelines of the National System of Nature Conservation Units (SNUC), which provides mechanisms for the participation of traditional communities in Sustainable Use Conservation Units, such as Extractive Reserves. One of these mechanisms is precisely the Deliberative Council, a forum for dialogue and decision-making that directly impacts the territory and its residents.                                                                                                                     

The First Official Meeting of the Deliberative Council    

Seven years after its official recognition, the Baixo Rio Branco-Jauaperi Reserve took a crucial step: on February 19, 2025, the Deliberative Council was officially established. Composed of 38 seats—20 for communities and local organizations, 13 for government, research, and educational institutions, and 5 for civil society organizations—the Council was sworn in by Hueliton Ferreira, Head of the Integrated Management Center of ICMBio in Novo Airão. Over the two-day meeting, in addition to the swearing-in ceremony, training sessions were provided to the new council members, and priority topics for the protection of the Reserve were discussed, such as the installation of an ICMBio support base, as well as sustainable development for local communities, focusing on fishing, agriculture, and extractivism. 

Key Topics and Priorities 

During the meeting, the council members identified several priority areas, including: 

1. Development of the Reserve Management Plan 
2. Bioeconomy 
3. Lifting of the Fishing Restrictions on the Jauaperi River 
4. Strengthening Family Agriculture 

For each topic, working subgroups and Thematic Chambers were formed, responsible for drafting action plans to be implemented throughout 2025. 

The Bioeconomy Thematic Chamber  

Amazônia and Amazon Charitable Trust took the lead in coordinating the Bioeconomy Thematic Chamber, alongside other civil society organizations and some local community representatives. The objective is to strengthen and develop extractivism and sociobiodiversity chains, meaning alternative income generation opportunities for local populations while preserving the forest and respecting traditional ways of life.                                                                                   

Among the planned actions, key initiatives include: mapping existing initiatives in the region, collaborating with research, education, and technical assistance institutions, promoting exchanges and market access that enhance the value of sociobiodiversity products and ensure fair prices.                     

Next Steps and Acknowledgments                                                                                    

Amazônia expresses its gratitude to the residents of the Baixo Rio Branco-Jauaperi Reserve, who have actively fought for and supported the development of initiatives in the region, and to its partner Amazon Charitable Trust for its continuous support and participation in this process. It also congratulates the team of the Integrated Management Center of Novo Airão of ICMBio for this important achievement, as well as all the other partner institutions that now form the Deliberative Council. This represents a significant step towards the protection of one of the richest and most important regions in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, promoting a participatory management model that values and protects both the biodiversity and the traditional communities that inhabit it.                                                                                                                               

To learn more about the actions of the Deliberative Council of the Resex of Baixo Rio Branco-Jauaperi and follow the next steps of the project, continue following us here on the blog and on our social media channels. 

To learn more, read this article (in Portuguese).

What is rewilding and who theorized it 

The term “rewilding” refers to the process of rebuilding a natural ecosystem, following human interference, so that, through the restoration of its natural processes and its original biological community, it becomes self-sustaining, self-sufficient, and resilient. Human management within the ecosystem should therefore be minimal, limited, for example, to the reintroduction of wild animals or the reopening of old water routes. 

The concept emerged in the 1980s, but it was through an important study in 1998 by two American biologists, Michael Soulé and Reed Noss, that it was given a concrete scientific foundation, based on three fundamental characteristics, known as the ‘3Cs’: cores, which are highly protected natural reserve areas; corridors, which are large areas that allow wildlife movement and their search for food, connecting the cores, which typically are not large enough on their own; and carnivores, species whose importance in ecosystems was supported by several scientific studies, showing how major changes in ecosystems, such as species loss, were often caused by their disappearance. 

The Example of Yellowstone National Park 

An example of successful rewilding that highlighted the fascinating complexity of how ecosystem elements intertwine was the repopulation of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Wolves had become extinct in Yellowstone by the 1930s due to indiscriminate hunting. One of the direct effects was a reduction in predation pressure on elk, whose population then increased significantly, leading to negative environmental effects: exceeding the park’s carrying capacity and a failure to migrate during winter, which in turn caused them to feed on willow plants, a winter food for beavers. 

With the reintroduction of wolves in 1995, the entire chain of events reversed: elk began to move again, beavers resumed feeding on willow, and through building ponds, they had a positive impact on the hydrology of the waterways. 

The Yellowstone case demonstrated how delicate and essential the ecological role of a single animal species in a specific area is for maintaining ecosystem balance. 

Environmental and Social Benefits 

The benefits of rebuilding a natural ecosystem are numerous and extend beyond the environmental sphere. Transforming natural ecosystems into truly functioning ecosystems, made up of a wide range of interconnected plants and animals, primarily enables the mitigation of the environmental crises affecting the planet, including biodiversity loss and climate change. Properly functioning ecosystems also ensure filtered air from trees and clean water. 

In addition to the fundamental environmental benefits, important positive effects are also seen on the social front. Restoring lands and seas can create a thriving ecosystem of employment. Some examples include livestock management through naturalist guides, organizing community activities, and offering the possibility to visit the area to observe the rebounding wildlife, enjoying unique ecotourism experiences. 

Rewilding in Brazil 

In Brazil, several rewilding projects have been implemented, some promoted by the association Re:wild, and others carried out in the Santa Catarina region, where iconic species of the territory, such as the bird Amazona vinacea, have been reintroduced since 2010. Additionally, Amazônia, through the “Together We Plant the Future” project, has participated in the conservation and ecological restoration of the Amazon rainforest along the border between the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Pará, combining these environmental goals with the socioeconomic development of local communities. 

Photos: Alberto Cambone, Roberto Isotti, Barry Cawston, Emiliano Mancuso, Sandro Santioli, Homo Ambiens Isotti

“Traveling through the Amazon means confronting a unique, fragile, and essential world for global climate balance. Protecting it is a task that concerns all of us.” – Emanuela Evangelista, biologist and mission coordinator.

The Amazon Mission 2024, led by the president of Amazônia, took the Italian meteorological services company 3BMeteo team on a journey of study and awareness to document the impact of climate change on the Amazon rainforest. Crossing four Brazilian states—Mato Grosso, Roraima, Pará, and Amazonas—the team of meteorologists gathered scientific data, local testimonies, and images to highlight the need to protect one of the world’s most critical ecosystems.

Key Stops and Testimonies 

1. São Paulo: kickoff and preliminary meetings 

In the vast southeastern Brazilian metropolis, home to over 12 million people, the team addressed the first two major themes related to the Amazon. The first explored the health of the rainforest, analyzed through a census conducted by the specialized center MapBiomas, with an interview featuring researcher Marcos Rosa. The second topic focused on the epidemiology of the Amazon basin, explained through insights from Dr. Fernanda Maffei, an infectious disease specialist at São Paulo Hospital. 

2. Sinop: deforestation for intensive agriculture 

In Sinop, Mato Grosso, the group observed deforestation caused by soybean plantations. Interviews with farmers and local producers revealed the economic pressures driving the conversion of forests into agricultural lands. 

3. Novo Progresso: the broken promise of development 

Carrying a name full of hope, this city was founded in 1973 along the massive road that cut the forest in half to facilitate the transport of agricultural products to export ports. Here, Indigenous leader Doto Kayapó spoke about his community’s circular development model, which opposes urban approaches that prioritize consumption and waste production. 

4. Itaituba: the Munduruku and mercury in the rivers 

In Itaituba, along the Tapajós River, the team visited a remote Indigenous village and met with community leader Juarez Saw Munduruku. The locals shared the dramatic consequences of illegal gold mining, including mercury contamination of the river. “The water is no longer drinkable, and children suffer severe health problems,” Juarez explained. 

5. Santarém: drought and fires 

In Santarém, the group spoke with Caetano Scannavino from the Saúde e Alegria project and Bruno Delano from ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, responsible for managing 340 protected areas in Brazil). They provided data on devastating forest fires caused by drought. “Climate change is amplifying the region’s vulnerabilities,” Caetano emphasized. 

6. Manaus: biodiversity and urban threats 

In Manaus, the largest urban center in the Amazon, researchers from INPA (National Institute for Amazon Research)—Renato Senna, Luiz Candido, and Leonardo Ramos—explained how Amazonian weather systems work and how climate change is altering the biome’s balance, making both the rainy and dry seasons increasingly extreme. 

7. Xixuaú: the beauty of the Amazonian heart 

After days of difficult navigation caused by the severe drought, the team arrived at Xixuaú village in the Jauaperi National Reserve, in the heart of the Amazon. Here, they interviewed several local community members to understand how they perceive the ongoing climate changes and the practical challenges these bring to their lives in the forest. The mission concluded with a return to Manaus aboard a seaplane. 

Conclusions 

The expedition aims to raise awareness of the importance of the Amazon rainforest, not only through scientific data but also by engaging the public with reports and stories. 

The Amazon biome, essential not only for the survival of local ecosystems but also for humanity’s well-being on this planet, plays a crucial role as a giant global climate regulator. Therefore, it is vital to increase global public awareness on this issue, which affects not only those living in the Amazon but all humans. Concrete solutions exist, including promoting a more sustainable global economy in import and export processes. 

 For more information about the expedition and to read the interviews, visit 3BMeteo’s official blog, in Italian.

Photos: 3B Meteo, Archivio Amazônia, Caio Vilela

On November 16th 2024, the award ceremony for the Gambrinus Mazzotti Literary Prize, in the “Sala Borsa” of the Chamber of Commerce of Treviso-Belluno | Dolomiti took place. 

The Gambrinus Mazzotti Literary Prize, a prestigious award dedicated to topics such as mountains, exploration, travel, ecology, landscape, traditional crafts, and Venetian culture through the “Window on the Veneto” section, is promoted by the Giuseppe Mazzotti Literary Prize Association. This initiative honors Giuseppe Mazzotti, a multifaceted intellectual from Treviso: writer, mountaineer, gastronome, and defender of Venetian villas, as well as a longtime advisor to the Italian Touring Club. 

This year, the Special Jury Prize “Ulderico Bernardi” was awarded to Emanuela Evangelista, biologist and author of the book “Amazzonia. Una vita nel cuore della foresta”. Evangelista, who lives in the world’s largest rainforest, was recognized for “her ability to remind us that there is not just one Amazon.” The award highlights her talent in narrating a complex and unique reality, honoring not only her personal experience but also the importance of protecting one of the planet’s most precious ecosystems. 

“Indeed, there is the forest, but there are also areas with greater human and agricultural presence, including large-scale soy cultivation and livestock farming. There is also a multitude of people who live in the forest and strive to preserve its biodiversity because they call the Amazon their home. This book is further praised for spotlighting the invaluable work that the author has been carrying out in the Amazon for over 20 years, reminding us that while we can travel to learn, the time has come to travel to build a different future for our planet and for all of us.” 

“Here in the Amazon, you can truly feel the interdependence that creates the natural community,” the author emphasized in a video message recorded from her stilt house in the heart of the rainforest, “and it is something we often forget in our urban contexts.” 

Information about the book – in Italian