| Christopher Clark (Associação Amazônia) |
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 Chris Clark first came to the Amazon in 1984, and one of the first places he visited was the Rio Jauaperi. He became well acquainted with the people of Rio Jauaperi, and in 1990 they asked for his help in providing health services and an education system for their children. They discussed the ways this could be achieived and came upon the idea of creating Amazon Association. This association was formed around the idea of preserving a part if this richly biodiverse area in exchange for funding to improve their standard of living. Everyone became members of the association and the locals sold their land holdings to it. Since then they have extended the reserve to cover 178,000 hectares. In 2001 work begain with the Environment Ministry to extend the area to where the Rio Jauaperi joins the Rio Negro and up the Rio Branco.This extended area is becoming the Reserva Extractivista do Baixo Rio Branco - Rio Jauaperi. It is in its final stages of implementation and Chris is in constant contact with Marina Silva and Carlos Vicente, the environmment minister and her deputy. The decree now only awaits the signature of President Lula to become effective. This is being financed by the ARPA programme, Amazon Region Protected Areas of the G7 Pilot Project for the Amazon. This area falls into the planned Central Amazonian Ecological Corridor being financed by the World Bank, the partners are IBAMA, the Brazilian Environment Institute, CNPT, The National Centre for Traditional Populations and the Roraima Rural Workers Union, as well as the local communities which will become part of the new reserve. The local people of this area are the owners and beneficiaries. Their reward for maintaining the most intact and biodiverse parts of the Amazon is hosting film makers, photographers, researchers and other supporters who come to work and experience the region. The association's aim is now to extend the benenfits enjoyed by the local people to other communities which will become part of the new Extractivist Reserve. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |