Our Solutions for the Amazon

Delivering conservation results in every single Amazon country

To save the Amazon, some people still pay with their lives. Such are the powerful and conflicting interests that hold sway in the area, which are just as enormous today as they were 40 years ago.

Every day, from the corridors of power in the Amazon countries' capitals to remote wilderness areas, WWF is at the frontlines of conservation efforts being waged in the region.

Why major resources are needed

The stakes in terms of biodiversity and livelihoods at risk are considerable, and hence so is WWF's investment: In 2005, we spent almost US$ 16 million in the Amazon.

While this may look like a considerable budget, it pales in comparison to the investments that are going into development projects such as mining, oil projects and agricultural development.

Since starting work in the Amazon more than 40 years ago, WWF has been promoting solutions for wildlife protection, sustainable management of natural resources and to improve conditions for the people who rely on them.

A hand in hand approach

This comprehensive approach has been successful due in part to WWF's engagement with local communities and our partnerships with organizations and local and state governments that help us carry our mission forward.

In the Brazilian state of Acre for example, WWF pursues key policy issues and promotes dialogue with civil society on conservation and development, at the state government's request.

In addition to the use of sound science, WWF's conservation vision and global reach have enabled the organization to take a leadership role in pioneering efforts like the Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) programme.

The full picture

But this is no small undertaking. WWF's work in the Amazon is undermined by difficult local economic conditions, occasional conflict and the constant need for further funding. 

Despite these challenges, we have chalked up many successes in the region, sometimes after years of persistant efforts. We are also keen learners: the experience we reap is invaluable for conservation work that follows.

What WWF does in the Amazon

• Consolidating and expanding protected areas that are representative of the region's biodiversity.
• Promoting responsible use of natural resources in order to provide incentives to maintain the natural habitat.
• Promoting the sustainability of WWF's efforts through communications and education
• Influencing regional development policy to incorporate environmental concerns.

Forming conservation professionals

One of the most critical and scarce resources in the management of protected areas in Latin America is the availability of adequately trained and equipped local professionals.

To address this shortfall, WWF has focused on local capacity-building by providing fellowships for graduate studies and research, as well as small grants for park guard training to increase the number of trained professionals working in protected areas in the Tropical Andes Mountains and in the Amazon.

More specifically, the Russell E. Train Education For Nature Program has provided scholarships to proven and potential conservation leaders since 1994, to pursue graduate-level education anywhere in the world for up to two years.

In addition, Protected Area Workshop Grants are designed to support organizations with a proven record of successful training programs for park guards in the Andes and Amazon region, notably Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

In Brazil, WWF's Sociedade e Natureza (Society and Nature) programme has provided support for graduate student research and other training to thousands of Brazilians.

Working across borders

The Amazon River Basin encompasses several South American countries, and as a result WWF understands that to address the problems facing the region in a holistic way, we must work across borders.

Nowhere is this more crucial than in the Southwestern Amazon Moist Forests, one of WWF's 25 priority ecoregions around the globe that is shared by Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.

In this area of unique biodiversity, WWF has developed a vision, a range of objectives and a working platform that are facilitating and improving collaboration between countries to save the Amazon.

A shared vision and workplan for Brazil and Peru has also been developed by WWF and partners for another outstanding and critical ecoregion of the region: the Amazon River and Floodplains ecoregion.

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