Successes and challenges of the socio-environmental movement in the Amazon Region Acre state

1. Successes and challenges of the socio-environmental movement in the Amazon RegionAcre state Alberto Tavares - Economist London June 2 – 2008

2. Over 90 % of the world's poorest people depend on forests for livelihoods More than a billion people living within the 19 forest biodiversity “hotspots” 22% of all developing country forests owned by communities Community tenure will double again by 2020 to more than 700 million hectares 21 million people live in Brazilian Amazon Region ~60% of public (state) lands are in the hand of local communities Forests and Livelihood Cmmunitiesand Earth’s Biomes

3. AmazonRainforest 9 countries

4. Environmental Services of the Tropical Forests What are ecosystem services after all? Air quality Wild species & habitat protection The Forest Climate Alliance Strategic Advice to National Policy Initiatives Biodiversity Offsets Watershed protection and regulation Plant pollination Carbon sequestration and storage Soil formation and fertility Beauty landscape

5. Impacts of Climate Change in the Amazon Region Probability of rainfall reduction (%) The Amazon Region is one of the two Brazilian Climatic Hotspots The increase of temperature can be a s high as 8º C in some areas Jun-July-Aug Dec-Jan-Feb

6. Source: Brazilian Forest Service (2008)

7. Big Challengedeforestation 2006-2050 scenarium if business as usualfonte: IPAM

8. Main threats in Amazon Region

9. The size of the problem... • From 1988 to 2006: • 345,000 km2 of amazon rainforest deforested only in Brazil • São Paulo state area= 248,000 km2

10. Federal Government ReactionReduction of Deforestation Plan Since 2002: • Involvement of 11 Ministries • Main lines of action: • Landscape planning; • Support for economic sustainability • Government control • Monitoring (technology) In December 2007 • Deforestation growth • “embargo” on rural finance; • Focus in the districts with highest deforestation • Involve the market consumers of commodities

11. Social and Political Context • Deforestation does not generate much economic welfare; • Local communities present throughout the region depend on standing forest for their livelihoods. • Insufficient actions to stop deforestation by the central government; • REDD Emissions have gained considerable attention by the international community. Much funds have been promised but no clear framework is ready; • No clear public directive on how adaptation will be woven into development policies in the region;

12. History of socio-environmental movement in the Amazon RegionAcre StateSustainability Protagonists Recognition of traditional communities as protagonists of sustainable development, in so far as they maintain natural resources and provide environmental services for the planet and humanity; and their role should be valued.

13. 1970-1990 Forest People Alliance Rubber tappers and indigenous people examples Chico Mendes and the rubber tappers’ movement:“Empates” against deforestationProtagonists of sustainable developmentInnovative Public policies

15. Strategies and alternatives for Sustainable Development in Amazon Region: Government (enviroment area); and NGO´s (civil society) Creation and implementation of Protected Areas Comunity Forestry Production Chain and Market for timber and no-timber products Sustainable Fishery Inclusion of Forest and carbon in Climate deal (Bali-2007) – payment for reduction emissions Market transformation Capacity building of social capital Public and Private Polices

16. Public and private policies in Nacional/Regional Level • PACTO PELA VALORIZAÇÃO DA FLORESTA E PELO FIM DO DESMATAMENTO NA AMAZÔNIA • October 2007 • Ground-breaking initiative to establish commitment from diverse sectors of the Brazilian government and society; to propose urgent actions to end deforestation in the Brazilian • Objective:reduce deforestation rate to zero by 2015 • Main Goals • Economic value of the foresta • Recognise Legítimacy of traditional use of the forest resources (communities) • Economic incentives How is it going? • Support of the governors of the states of the Amazon: AC, AM, MT, AP, as well as SP e MG; • Federal parliament • Civil Society

17. Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) Greenpeace Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM) TheNatureConservancy (TNC) Conservação Internacional (CI) Amigos da Terra - Amazônia Brasileira Instituto do Homem e Meio Ambiente da Amazônia (Imazon) WWF-Brasil

18. Publicandprivate policies in Nacional/Regional LevelProject: Strengthenvoices for betterchoices Leader: GTA - Grupo de TrabalhoAmazônico (Wokgroup from Amazon) Stakeholders: Comunitiesorganizations (extrativistsandindiginousgroups) andNGO´s. Support: WWF-Brazil and IUCN Goal: Constructionof a Civil Society Agenda for Socio-environmentalPublicPolicyof Acre state Valuesoftheproject Involvementandparticipationof civil societyactorsfromthe start Strengthening networks Clearstrategy for action Structureandprocess for Social ParticipationandgoodGovernance Sharedlearningofmulti-institutionalgovernance processes Process 2007-2008 Phase 1 - StudiesonParticipation policies Phase 2 - Elaborationof Agenda and Policies Phase 3 – Capacity-buildingandsupport for implementationoftheagreed agenda

19. PES is a community’s right… “At first I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realize I am fighting for humanity.” - Chico Mendes 1944 1988†

20. Thank you! Alberto Tavares dandetavares@bol.com.br Phone xx55 68 3244 1706