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Home , Amazon rainforest, Borders of Brazil

Photo:: Jørgen Braastad

An Amazon without boundaries This is how we go about saving the ’s biggest

Rainforest Foundation Norway has worked together with indigenous people to protect rainforest in the Amazon since 1989. In 2007, this work gained considerable momentum when we received support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for our ambitious initiative “Rights-based sustainable management of large contiguous territories in the Amazon”. This document (2012) introduces our work and rapid economic growth as an incentive and presents some of its results. First of all, however, economically powerful as a driver, IIRSA we would like to briefly explain why we wanted to has become a platform for the linking together undertake this initiative. of geographically remote areas and an increase in energy production within the Amazon . The rainforest is under are being built through areas where travel attack from all sides … was once possible only by river, on foot, by plane or by helicopter. Grand plans of hydroelectric The pressure on the Amazon rainforest has power projects threaten to submerge under increased considerably over the last few years. water and displace its inhabitants. This pressure arises to a large extent from the political ambitions of the countries within The development of infrastructure makes it the Amazon region. The Initiative for the possible to exploit natural resources in forest Integration of the Regional Infrastructure in which so far has been difficult to access and has (IIRSA) is an illustrative example therefore, to a large extent, been protected from of the policies that threaten the rainforest. With destruction. New roads and other infrastructural projects, bring with them a considerable increase in conjunction with contiguous areas under in activities that are destructive to the forest, protection, including when these happen to such as logging, and gold mining. In be situated in neighbouring countries. Those addition comes tremendous pressure from the of us who wish to protect the rainforest must oil, gas and mineral industry to gain access to unite forces across national and work new areas. collectively for an alternative development of the Amazon region. Countries must collaborate to The Amazon rainforest can seem robust because protect, rather than destroy, the rainforest. of its size. However, if the forest is carved up into ever smaller sections by roads and other activites After more than twenty years’ work with local which follow in their wake, the territory loses projects in the Amazon, Rainforest Foundation much of its natural ability to regenerate and Norway has built the expertise and the networks survive changes, both those caused by and needed to plan cross- protection of the by man. We risk reaching a stage at which the rainforest. The support from the Norwegian Amazon rainforest is depleted to a point where it Ministry of Foreign Affairs has enabled us to put can no longer be saved. this plan into practice.

Many – the rainforest’s guardians – are now extinct because of violence, How? disease and oppression following the arrival of If we are to succeed in saving large areas of the Europeans in South America. The indigenous Amazon rainforest, we must make experience and groups that continue to follow traditional expertise at the local level the very foundation of ways in tune with nature are also under threat. forest management – at regional, national and An important reason is that the forest which multi-national levels alike. Here we outline the provides their livelihood and to which they have principles that in our opinion must form the rights, is reduced in size and encroached upon by basis for management of the Amazon rainforest invaders searching for oil, gold, pasture, timber – principles that concurrently shape Rainforest and other resources that can easily be monetised. Foundation Norway’s cross-border Amazon The indigenous peoples’ rights are systematically initiative. violated, and they are forced off their land and into a life as as society’s underprivileged. The role of the rainforest must be recognised

...and must be defend- The has evolved over the last ed on all fronts 50–100 million years. It covers no more than five to six percent of the ’s surface, but is The Amazon as a whole can and should be nevertheless where the majority of the world’s regarded as one vast ecosystem, and managed terrestrial fauna and flora can be found. The accordingly. To achieve this, we need to look rainforest is home to around one thousand beyond and across national borders in the indigenous peoples, but it is vital to the rest of Amazon region. The situation is not the same humanity also because, among other things, it in all Amazon countries, but there are many regulates the climate, stores important water similarities. Those who are destroying the forest resources and is a source of medicines. The are powerful and well organised. They disregard world’s together contain far more carbon national borders, but so do the forest and its than can be found in the . If we indigenous inhabitants. We need to protect preserve the rainforest, we have a much greater large tracts of forest that span national and chance of managing and limiting man-made other boundaries. Existing protected areas must . be managed in an ecologically sound way and

2 The fact that the rainforest must be preserved One of Rainforest Foundation Norway’s partner because of its vital importance to humanity and organisations – the local indigenous organisation the environment has to be recognised, and it Federación de Comunidades Nativas del must shape policy in those countries that are Corrientes (FECONACO) – has established responsible for the management of the forest, a unique and effective system for surveillance as well as in those countries that can influence of the petroleum exploration activities in the development in rainforest . Corrientes river basin. This has enabled the local population to discover and report leaks and Indigenous peoples must be emissions, and raise the alarm. respected Environmentally friendly Indigenous peoples have particular rights to the sources of income must be land where they live, and to be heard in matters developed of concern to them. These rights have to be respected, and must form the basis for forest Putting in place alternative, and environmentally management. Indigenous peoples’ collective friendly economic activity is vital to securing rights to the land where they have traditionally sound rights-based management of indigenous lived must be formally recognised. Experience territories. Ecologically responsible sources of from the Amazon region demonstrates that income provide indigenous peoples with a real indigenous territories provide the best protection alternative to income-generating activity that against rainforest destruction. is destructive to the rainforest, and makes it possible for them to say no to those who offer As such, providing support for indigenous to buy rights to extract timber and other natural movements and their efforts to establish resources from indigenous land. Marketing of indigenous territories, and promoting respect environmentally friendly rainforest products for indigenous rights, are core objectives of our made by indigenous people also contributes to work. Indigenous peoples constitute our most raising the general public’s consciousness about important target group. Additional target groups the rainforest, its value and the interactions that are environmental organisations and others sustain it. that work closely with indigenous people for the protection of the rainforest and indigenous One illustration of our work with economic rights. alternatives comes from Xingú in Brazil. In Xingú, indigenous inhabitants Indigenous peoples must be collect seeds from the forest, which they then involved sell on to landowners who wish to reforest areas We believe that indigenous peoples and other around the sources of the Xingú River with rainforest inhabitants must participate actively indigenous in order to protect the river. in forest management that is environmentally This collaboration is organised through a seed friendly and founded on the legal rights of forest- network, and has created alternative sources dwellers. Indigenous peoples possess a unique of income for many indigenous people in the knowledge of how to utilise the forest without region. Another example comes from Purus in destroying it, and it is in their interest that the the Peruvian western Amazon. There, indigenous forest is preserved. peoples earn some money by collecting and selling seeds. They make use of an One example of the ways in which indigenous internal market for mahogany seeds that has peoples themselves protect the forest can arisen around various reforesting projects in be found in Corrientes in . There, the other parts of the Peruvian Amazon. indigenous people are fighting the harmful effects of oil extraction by means of surveillance. 3 105OW 90OW 75OW 60OW 45OW Longitude West 30O of Greenwich

VENEZUELA

GUYANA FR. RAINFOREST SURINAM 4 3

AMAZON PERU 1 BRAZIL 2

BOLIVIA

CHILE São Paulo

1 “THE WESTERN AMA- 2 “THE XINGÚ BASIN”: 3 “THE GUYANA PLA- 4 “THE RIO NEGRO RE- ZON”: ECUADOR, BRA- BRAZIL TEAU”: BRAZIL, FRENCH GION”: BRAZIL, VENE- ZIL, AND PERU GUIANA AND ZUELA AND COLOMBIA

The Guyana Plateau The western Amazon The Xingú basin is The Rio Negro region comprises areas around comprises the areas situated in the centre extends from east to west the Brazilian border and around the border of what is referred to as in the area where the the protected areas in between Peru and its the Brazilian Amazon Brazilian, Venezuelan southern neighbors Ecuador, belt. In and Colombian borders and Suriname. Much Brazil and Bolivia. This spite of this, it contains meet. Gold mining is a of the forest has been is the area in the Amazon one of the world’s largest major problem in the preserved, but the area with the largest number continuous corridors region. of oil concessions. The of different protected is under threat from concessions often overlap rainforest areas. plans for large-scale with indigenous peoples’ infrastructure projects, territories and other mineral extraction and protected areas. logging.

Orcadas () 4 International Stations (Argentina-Brazil--China--Poland-Russian Fed.-) Capitán Arturo Prat (Chile)

Esperanza (Argentina) General B. O'Higgins (Chile)

Marambio Palmer (U.S.A) (Argentina) 105OW 90OW 75OW 60OW 45OW Longitude West 30O of Greenwich 105OW 90OW 75OW 60OW 45OW Longitude West 30O of Greenwich

Where? Our cross-border work in rainforest protection is concentrated in four Amazon regions, which all comprise several indigenous territories and conservation areas. In addition, we engage in political advocacy work, take part in cartography collaborations and work to promote human and social rights at the multinational level.

The western Amazon industrial crop cultivation – mainly . The area is under threat from the controversial This area of rainforest stretches from the hydroelectric power project Belo Monte. in Peru, into Bolivia and Brazil. Here is a patchwork of different types of conservation area In Xingú, our main priorites are the creation of and other rich areas of rainforest which are under new models of land management which allow threat from oil and gas extraction, building indigenous territories and protected areas in the and logging. No other part of the world is home Xingú basin to be managed as one continuous to such a large number of indigenous groups corridor, in a sustainable way and with the living in voluntary isolation from the outside support of all sectors of society; the development world. The area is also the Amazon’s richest in of environmentally friendly economic Rio de Janeiro terms of . São Paulo alternatives for local indigenous groups, peasants, rubber tappers, nut foragers and fishermen; and In the western Amazon, we prioritise support the halting of the hydroelectric power project for efforts to ensure that contiguous protection Belo Monte, which if completed will have areas are managed as one and in environmentally dramatic consequences for the people and the sound ways; that new territories for indigenous environment in Xingú. populations are established; that environmental activists from Peru, Bolivia and Brazil collaborate The Guyana Plateau with each other; and that indigenous organisations This geological plateau in the northeastern are strengthened. Protection of the numerous Amazon is covered by rainforest which reaches indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation is into Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, a main priority in this region. and Colombia. Around 80 percent of The Xingú basin the rainforest here is protected. However, strong political and economic forces are pressing for the Xingú is one of the ’s main construction of big roads and dams, the mining tributaries in the southeastern Amazon. The area of minerals and the granting of new logging is the size of Spain and contains a patchwork of concessions in the region – something that will large and continuous areas of protected rainforest have harmful consequences in the protected areas – both indigenous territories and conservation and for the many indigenous people who live areas. A high level of cultural variation and there. biodiversity characterises the area. The landscape varies from in the far south to rainforest Our main priorities on the Guyana Plateau are further north. The Xingú basin is situated right to develop and put in place sustainable economic in the middle of the area of Brazil which has seen alternatives; to address environmental issues in the most rapid and extensive deforestation in the indigenous territories; and to create an efficient last decade due to large-scale cattle farming and network of the various indigenous groups on Orcadas (Argentina) 5 Antarctic International Stations (Argentina-Brazil-Chile-China-Korea-Poland-Russian Fed.-Uruguay) Capitán Arturo Prat (Chile)

Esperanza (Argentina) General B. O'Higgins (Chile)

Marambio Palmer (U.S.A) (Argentina) 105OW 90OW 75OW 60OW 45OW Longitude West 30O of Greenwich the Plateau so that they together can consolidate and several other organisations that carry out their position vis-à-vis national authorities. environmental protection work in the Rio Negro basin. Among other things, this network The Rio Negro region will work for sustainable regional rainforest This is one of the most undisturbed regions of the management and will update maps of the Rio Amazon. More specifically, it consists of areas where Negro basin. the borders of Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia Regional framework meet. Around 70 percent of the area is protected. The military presence on the Brazilian side of The growing economic cooperation among the border has been considerable and has limited Amazon countries presents significant challenges illegal mining, logging and large-scale agriculture. to the environment and human rights. As we However, gold prospecting is a problem. An area have established, work across ethnic groups, the size of Portugal is inhabited by the organisations and states will be necessary to people, the largest indigenous group in the Amazon combat these threats. Significant improvement region to maintain its traditional way of life. The to the Amazon countries’ legislation and effective Yanomami number close to 30,000, and their measures at regional levels are necessary to secure settlement area straddles the border between Brazil indigenous rights and protect the rainforest. The and Venezuela. work we do to promote rainforest management based on legal rights in our four target territories Rainforest Foundation Norway variously assists depends on an effective inter- framework for in exchanges between representatives of the the management of natural resources. Yanomami in both countries of habitation; the establishment of an organisation for the A main priority is to facilitate efficient Yanomami in Venezuela; the production of cooperation between agents who work with bi-national maps of the Yanomami territories similar issues and who can push regional together with pilot management plans for some rainforest policy towards the observation of legal of these areas; and efforts to protect Yanomami rights and rainforest management. This kind of territory against invasions from gold prospectors. collaboration produced the first map showing We also support a network of indigenous groups a complete picture of all the various protected

About the Amazon rainforest

• The Amazon rainforest covers an area of more than 1.7 billion acres. This makes the Amazon the world’s biggest rainforest. • Approximately 3 million indigenous people live in and derive a livelihood from the rainforest • The Amazon rainforest is one of the world’s richest ecosystems

6 areas, together with deforestation, across all of the . To achieve this we provided support to the cartography network “the Amazon Network of Geo-referenced Socio-environmental Information” (RAISG). Through this network, strategic partners from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela have exchanged digital geographical information about the Amazon region. In addition, through the lawyer network RAMA, our partners share experience and information in order to advance their efforts to secure indigenous people’s rights in several parts of the Amazon. The Amazon in Norway

Norwegians in general are very interested in the Amazon rainforest. We sustain this interest with information about the rainforest, indigenous peoples and their rights, and threats and solutions. We also work systematically to Photo: Bo Mathisen stop Norwegian contributions to deforestation, for example by notifying the Norwegian ABOUT THE AMAZON ACROSS Government Pension Fund Global’s Council on BOUNDARIES INITIATIVE Ethics of transgressions. • The main aim of the initiative is to ensure In order to inform the Norwegian public of that ”the Amazon rainforest is managed in a our activity and mission, we work strategically holistic and sustainable way, across national to secure media coverage of particular topics, borders and with due respect for the rights and we produce reports on topical issues. We of indigenous peoples and other forest use our website and social media proactively inhabitants.” and creatively. We organise and contribute to • The work was initiated in 2007, and is taking different kinds of events and activities which help place over two periods. The first phase of the place the rainforest on the agenda in Norway, programme ran from 2007 until 2010. The second phase runs from 2011-2015. such as open seminars about the Amazon • A thorough evaluation of the experiences rainforest; exhibitions; and film screenings. from the first phase was conducted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010. The evaluation pointed to “positive results”, and emphasised the link between and indigenous peoples’ For more information: sustainable use of the rainforest. www.rainforest.no/en

7 RAINFOREST FOUNDATION NORWAY

Rainforest Foundation Norway fights to preserve the world’s and secure the rights of indigenous peoples and forest dependent communities, in cooperation with more than 70 local indigenous and environmental organisations in southeast , , Central and the Amazon.

8 Photo: Rainforest Foundation Norway