The Brazilian Amazon depends on what is outside of Brazil, the "Andean Amazon", for being a neighbor of the Andes. Despite representing only 35% of the Amazon, this area provides water and humidity to 65% of the forest that lies on Brazilian soil. Paradoxically, the most intense pressure on the “Andean Amazon” comes from Brazil.
This pressure comes from major infrastructure developments such as interoceanic roads and gigantic dams for power generation. Brazilian companies, contracted by the government, have implemented the "march to the Pacific Ocean." Brazil’s intention is to export to China.
Part of the solution is to adapt the practices of the largest investors in the Andean Amazon: National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) of Brazil and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF). They do not use a lot of environmental guidelines, like other institutions, such as the World Bank and the Bank of Inter-American Development (BID).
In this sense, "Brazil needs to have more sensitivity and awareness of the Amazon outside of its territory", said several experts. Even Brazilian voices at some point were discordant about the Andean Amazon. For example, Marina Silva, Brazilian former presidential candidate said that "Brazil needs to exercise a fraternal leadership.” “We do not want fraternal leadership, but fraternal cooperation," several leaders of the Andean Amazon commented unofficially, although they do consider her a leader and a true example.
There have also been initiatives or promising solutions that would be convenient to apply throughout the Amazon basin. One of these is that the financial channels that support initiatives against deforestation in Brazil, reach the rest of the Amazonian countries. Another is real-time monitoring of fire and deforestation, held by Brazilian institutions both scientifically and financially sound. The quality of these actions places these institutions in the media and has a strong influence on public policy.
The "Green Cities" program is another one to mention, which has proven to reverse deforestation. The initiative is local and has the support of state and federal governments. It also drew attention of networks with fiscal and environmental attorneys. On behalf of the state they investigate and later become the public prosecutors of those who commit environmental crimes.
Last year, in private, we highlighted the sustainable productive chains. One was the meat in the state of Pará. The initiative has helped to slow deforestation by reviewing procedures and inputs, including suppliers. Moreover, it has adapted to market requirements. "I only buy verified meat and from herds that do not increase deforestation in the Amazon," should be the motto of most end buyers.
Panamazônia
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Amazonas 2030” showed that the population can affect more than just the end buyer. The initiative monitors the environmental changes and the quality of life in the Colombian Amazon. In addition, intense and effective cross-border alliances are happening in the local region. They share similar problems as well as the historical neglect by their national governments. With a clear Pan-Amazonian vision, governments and local institutions can work in collaboration with one another effectively, without bureaucracy, sluggishness and protocols from national governments.
Some guidelines of protection partially disrupted developments generally linked to illegal activities. The Amazon may no longer be the largest continuous patch of forest in the world. One of the forms of protection is Protected Areas, with their different categories such as "National Park", among the best known, indigenous territories and the Biosphere Reserves are other forms of protection, with identical results.
The potential of some guidelines or technical studies was also seen to generate adequate public policies. One is the "Millennium Development Goals", which shows the social and environmental situation in the Amazon. Other instruments include the maps of Amazon Networks for Socio-Environmental and Geocoded Information (RAISG) which integrates different levels of information, allowing you to view the current status of the basin and the trends of pressure for the future. The information corresponds to an informal assessment of experts who are part of the Amazon Regional Alliance (ARA), a network comprised of almost 40 civil society organizations, with operations in six of the Pan-Amazonian countries.
