Country/Region: Brazil
Partner: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Forest integrity is critical to biodiversity conservation and human welfare. In Brazil, the Amazonas State boasts 150 million ha of forest, 127 million ha of which have high ecological integrity. The land between the Purus and Madeira rivers, the interfluve region at the heart of the state, harbors high levels of biodiversity and endemism and the ecology of the region is still poorly known. This region is under imminent threat due to recent plans to repave the BR319 highway, which intersects the whole interfluve region and connects the state capital Manaus to Porto Velho in the state of Rondônia. The paving of the road would undoubtedly result in facilitating access to this pristine region and result in an increase of deforestation, degradation, disconnection of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and land grabbing.
Strengthening conservation governance around the BR319 is critical to preventing the impacts of this development from spreading through the heart of the Amazon. Our partner, WCS, has been working on efforts to protect the region’s unique biodiversity.
The project aims at identifying priority areas for the establishment of the Purus-Madeira forest mosaic in the heart of the Amazonas State, Brazil, and at subsequently establishing a Management Council for the mosaic, based on a joint vision for the territory developed in consultation with its multiple stakeholders. WCS and partners will also develop an action plan, in which key conservation activities to minimise and mitigate the potential threats to the region will be outlined.
