Executive Coordinator at Idec Editing Teresa Liporace Clara Barufi

Joint Coordinator of the Xingu Graphic design Project at ISA Coletivo Piu (@coletivopiu) Paulo Junqueira Support Coordinator of the Energy and Charles Stewart Mott Sustainability Program at Idec Foundation Clauber Barão Leite Partnership Technical production Instituto Socioambiental – ISA Camila Cardoso socioambiental.org Clauber Barão Leite Published by Marcelo Silva Martins Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa Mayara Mayumi Tamura do Consumidor – Idec Munir Younes Soares idec.org.br Priscila Morgon Arruda

São Paulo, May 2021 Index

04 Presentation

06 Executive summary

08 1. Introduction: Legal Amazon

12 2. Covid-19 pandemic impacts in the region

17 3. Energy aspects of the Legal Amazon

19 3.1 The Amazon Isolated Systems

21 3.2 The electricity access exclusion and the Amazon peoples’ development challenges

26 4. The Xingu Indigenous Territory Case: An Example of Challenges to be Faced

30 4.1 Xingu Solar Project

36 5. Idec and ISA recommendations

40 6. References Presentation

he Brazilian Institute to clean and sustainable energy, for Consumer in the scope of the public policy T Defense (Instituto aim to universalize access to Brasileiro de Defesa do modern energy services. – Idec) and the Consumidor The Covid-19 pandemic has put Socio-environmental Institute in relief how the lack of electric (Instituto Socioambiental – ISA) energy access weakens the are members of the Energy conditions of life mainly among and Communities Network the Indigenous populations. The (Rede Energia e Comunidades), service availability in the region formed by a group of represents not only a quality of organizations that develop life improvement alternative, but model clean energy projects also the minimal conditions to with and for the sustainable improve community resilience in development of traditional and the matter of health. Indigenous people.1 This report proposes an initial These model projects contribute discussion about the urgency to isolated community access and the challenges to provide

1. For more information, please see the link: https://www.energiaecomunidades.com.br/.

4 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People the service. The text is divided toward renewable energy access into four parts. The introduction and the pandemic. Finally, based shows the region’s main on the evidence presented, the characteristics, the impacts of proposed aspects that should be the pandemic on Indigenous considered for implementation of populations and the measures universalization of electric energy adopted, by highlighting access policies in the region in the public electrical energy the years to come are shown. services, to facilitate redesigning healthcare services and to provide improved resilience for these people. The next section broaches the electrical energy characterization of the isolated Teresa Liporace system and the challenges where Executive attention is needed. The third Coordinator at Idec section presents The Xingu Indigenous Territory (Território Paulo Junqueira Indígena do Xingu – TIX) case, Joint Coordinator of the pointing out the mobilization Xingu Project at ISA

5 Executive Summary

he Covid-19 pandemic has addressed, with the creation of the put in relief the vulnerability More Light for the Amazon Program T of people who live in the (Programa Mais Luz para a Amazônia remote regions of the Legal Amazon. – MLA). Estimates show that there are The lack of access to essential presently about one million people services such as electric energy with no access to modern electric is associated with higher levels of energy in the region. deaths caused by the disease in the It is important to highlight that a large region, as compared to the rest of part of the Amazon is not connected the country. This scenario shows to the electrical transmission lines of the urgency to promote universal the National Interconnected System access to modern energy service (Sistema Interligado Nacional – SIN). in the region. After all, besides Electricity in the municipalities and improving the quality of life, electrical localities where it already exists is energy can help in confronting the therefore rendered by means of public health crisis and supporting isolated generation systems. Most community resilience. of these municipalities use diesel- undertook a great deal of fuel generators. These systems have meaningful effort in favor of electric high generation costs, low efficiency universalization in past years. The and an expensive maintenance Light for All Program (Programa needs, besides involving complex Luz para Todos – LpT) brought fuel transportation logistics and benefit to a total of 16.5 million emissions of greenhouse gases. On people between 2004 and mid 2019 the other hand, the use of diesel according to Brazilian Central Power fuel in the region is widespread. The (Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A. – supply chains are well structured and Eletrobras) data. But the challenges the commercialization of this fuel for remote communities in the Legal generates state income by means of Amazon only now have begun to be tax collection.

6 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People Notwithstanding, projects developed by The Socio-environmental Institute in the Xingu Territory region show that decentralized, clean and low- impact energy sources, including consultation protocols, to assure photovoltaic energy, are the options the services rendered match the with a greater feasibility to serve the community demands and people, due to the relative ease of take into consideration the existing technological appropriation by the socio-cultural diversity. communities, because most of their The universalization policy would needs refer to intermittent usage also enable the access to energy and the model does not present services that are safe, sustainable and difficulties to the families’ daily with low environmental impact, by activities. The results of experiments guaranteeing enough energy to meet such as these reinforce the need to the household and the communities’ consider renewable energy sources in productive needs. The establishment new policies for the region. of a robust training and capacity Considering these experiences and building program can guarantee that peculiarities, as well as the urgency the people who live in the area are to expand regional electrification, trained to take responsibility for the the Brazilian Institute for Consumer systems operation and management. Defense and the Socio-environmental Furthermore, public policy should Institute have proposals for rapid integrate the overall sustainable and high quality implementation. development of isolated communities, Such proposals, in particular, are including such necessities as health, initial contributions, based on the education, housing, basic sanitation, discussions promoted by the Energy communication and food security. and Communities Network, as well as The recommendation involves public debate on the subject. the need for a totally transparent The proposals include the timeline and established targets, accomplishment of mapping all including criteria for the energy communities in remote areas, with no utilities, with frequent monitoring and access whatsoever to energy and the accountability, as well as conclusion preparation of an updated national dates so that the universalization of rural electrification plan. Such a plan clean energy access in the Amazon should be based on the communities’ region can be fully achieved.

7 8 he Brazilian (Superintendência de Amazon region is Desenvolvimento da Amazônia T territorially defined – Sudam) area of activity.2 In its as the Legal Amazon, which entirety, the region comprises corresponds to the Amazon 58.9% of the Brazilian territory Development Superintendent (see Figure 1) (1).

Figure 1. Legal Amazon characterization - Source: IBGE (2019)

2. Sudam – the Amazon Development Superintendent’s area of activity is set forth in Art. 2 of Complementary Law no. 124, of January 3, 2007. Sudam’s purpose is to promote the economic integration of the region constituted by 52 municipalities of Rondônia, 22 do , 62 of Amazonas, 15 of , 144 of Pará, 16 of Amapá, 139 of , 141 of and 181 of Maranhão, located West of Meridian 44 (of which 21 of them are partially integrated into the Legal Amazon). It has a surface area of 5.015.067,749 sq/km.

9 The Amazon shows a far- reaching socio-cultural diversity. Such a diversity is due to the intense migration of populations from other regions and, most importantly, due to the great diversity of Indigenous People and of other traditional populations. At the start of this decade, there were 411 Indigenous above, is equivalent to almost Lands (Terras Indígenas – TIs) 60% of the national territory. in the Legal Amazon, and the The population’s income and the area corresponds to 21.7% of Human Development Index (HDI) its territory and has 173 people, are lower than the rest of the representing a total population country, according to Table 1 (3). of approximately 250 thousand According to data of Municipal people (2). Human Development Index Generally, the region shows low (MHDI) of the United Nations demographic density. The totality Program for the Development of its population corresponds (PNUD), among the ten to about 12% of the Brazilian municipalities with the lowest population distributed in an area HDI, all of them are located in the that, according to the illustration Legal Amazon Region (4).

10 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People Indicator Brazil Legal Amazon

Area (sq.km) 8,510,295.91 5,110,862.50

Estimated population (millions) 210,147,125 6,694,432

Demographic Density 24.69 4.83 (inhabitants/sq.km)

Human Development Index (HDI) 0.699 0.682

Monthly Household Income per R$ 1,439.00 R$ 1,027.35 capita (R$/capita)

Table 1. Indicators of Brazil and the Legal Amazon - Source: IBGE (With no date)

The access to essential services is deficient. The states of the North Region have the lowest level of basic sanitation coverage in the country. It should be pointed out that the subject of infrastructure in the region has always be one of the most difficult challenges, either due to the access difficulties to certain localities or due to the focus of public policies that have given priority to the exploitation of the region’s natural resources and have left as a secondary priority the development of a growth model that would consider the basic needs of the local population (5).

11 12 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People he crisis resulting from The same study shows that the the Covid-19 pandemic virus spreading has occurred by T has put in evidence fluvial channels and has reached the vulnerability of the Legal cities of the Northern part of the Amazon people. The population Amazon River such as Breves living the farthest from the urban (Pará State), where the study centers and, consequently, from has concluded that 25% of the hospital beds, are subjected to population has had contact with the greatest risks (6). The lack the virus (8). of clean and reliable electric Analysis of Institute for Energy energy, basic health services and and Environment (Instituto sanitation also increase these de Energia e Meio Ambiente – peoples’ vulnerability. IEMA), on the other hand, has It should be observed that the identified a connection between isolation of a great part of the the deaths for Covid-19 and the population could help in avoiding access to electric energy (Figure the infection. The problem is 2) (9). In those regions with a that this isolation is put in risk higher vulnerability – where there by increasing land clearing is a predominance of Indigenous and illegal mining activities. People and African Brazilians, According to a survey carried who live on the river banks and out before the pandemic, such in ancient hiding places for activities were already perceived slaves –, there is a higher level of by the Indigenous People as a deaths per inhabitant. public health problem (7). The pandemic is mainly impacting the North Region. A study shows that there is a higher prevalence of Sars-CoV 2, being more emphatic, in Indigenous and people of color.

13 Figure 2. Map of deaths caused by Covid-19 - Source: IEMA (2020)

Figure 3 shows the number of quantity of deaths. Furthermore, deaths informed by the Special according to data of the Secretariat for Indigenous Health Indigenous People’s Articulation (Secretaria Especial de Saúde in Brazil (Articulação dos Povos Indígena – Sesai) and checked Indígenas do Brasil – APIB), due by the National Committee for to the lack of transparency and Indigenous Life and Memory the absence of information and (Comitê Nacional de Vida e details from the Sesai, it is not Memória Indígena) (10). It is possible to check the duplication pertinent to point out that in of cases between both databases. the context of a lack of mass The general panorama of testing, there is probably a Covid-19 among indigenous disparity between the number of people is 52,494 confirmed deaths made public and the real cases, with 1,039 deaths (10)3.

3. Last updated on April 19, 2020.

14 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People BRASIL

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Figure 3. Indigenous population’s death estimate and check for Covid-19 - Source: National Committee for Indigenous Life and Memory (2021)

Although this number of people 996 cases and 19 deaths by is not limited to the Amazon, February 2021 (12). it is in this region that most Considering the dimension of the country’s Indigenous of the pandemic within the population is concentrated (11). Indigenous population and the As an example, in the Xingu difficulties of displacement to Indigenous Territory (Território look for medical treatment, the Indígena do Xingu – TIX), which first Indigenous Attention Units will be dealt with later, the first (Unidades de Atenção Indígena – cases of contamination were UAPIs) have been created as a identified in May 2020, totaling health strategy (13)4.

4. UAPIs have been created in strategical places in a number of Amazon areas such as Indigenous Lands of , Negro River, , Panará, Mekrangoti, Baú, Kaiapó, Capoto/Jarina, Juminá, Uaça, Waiãpi, Tucumaque Park, Zoé, Kaxuyana/ Tunayana, Trombetas-Mapuera, Nhamundá-Mapuera; and Extractive Reserve (Reserva extrativista – RESEX) of Anfrisio River, Iriri River, Xingu River.

15 The UAPIs are campaign Adding to these pandemic control infirmeries idealized by actions, vaccination of Indigenous Expeditionaries of Health populations was initiated. At TIX, (Expedicionários da Saúde), for example, almost half of the a humanitarian medical population has already received organization, subordinated to the first dose (12). In this context, the Indigenous Special Sanitary the availability of electricity is District (Distrito Sanitário Especial essential to support actions Indígena – DSEI) of Negro River, aimed at the health area in facing managing the Indigenous Health Covid-19, mainly enabling the Attention Subsystem (Subsistema refrigeration and conservation of de Atenção à Saúde Indígena – vaccines (12). SasiSUS). As will be discussed, access to These units are able to render electricity is indispensable for services to low-complexity the success of such initiatives, patients, with the use of a number as it strengthens peoples’ of pieces of equipment to stabilize resilience. This is because it favors Covid-19 patients with respiratory their subsistence and creates problems (13). In these places, conditions for communities to access to electricity is essential for develop and have access to other patient care. essential public services. Other than that, initiatives have emerged to make it possible for indigenous populations to remain in their villages, such as campaigns to raise funds to purchase cleaning and hygiene materials, food and agricultural tools (14). It should be noted that electrification is also one of the factors that facilitate people to remain in social isolation.

16 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People 17 everal surveys have shown in isolated areas are concerned, the positive aspects of the Institute for Energy and S energy access for people Environment has identified that who, previously, did not have this the electric energy access in service. According to the United community regions among the Nations Food and Agriculture TIX Indigenous people increased Organization (FAO), access to the community’s sense of energy generates important safety, due to the possibility of multiplying effects, such as food receiving basic health services and safety, malnutrition reduction, expanded education opportunity sustainable management of natural in night courses, among other resources and generation of local aspects (19). work (15). Given the importance It should be pointed out that of access to energy, the United the optimum scenario is that Nations established Sustainable this access be feasible by means Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) – of renewable energy, which is Accessible and Clean Energy, to preferred by the people because call upon countries to take action it emits fewer greenhouse to ensure reliable, sustainable, effect gases, is not dependent modern and affordable access to on fossil fuels and eliminates energy for all (16). or significantly reduces sound The results of Light for All pollution. Program (Programa Luz para Despite the importance of Todos – LpT) also show that electric energy as a public electrification generates positive service, the reality is still much benefits in the quality of life by more complex, with social and reducing poverty, facilitating the economic privation, dispersion integration of public services, of the people’s territory, difficulty improving the water supply, of logistics for and energy basic sanitation and access to distribution companies condition education, among other (17, 18). all impose additional challenges As far as the populations who live for rendering electrical services.5

5. Most distributing companies that operate in the North region have been recent- ly privatized. Only the Amapá Electricity Company (Companhia de Eletricidade do Amapá – CEA) remains as a state-owned company.

18 Figure 4. The National Interconnected System: Lines and Expansion Foreseen until 2024. - Source: ONS (With no date)

3.1 The Amazon Isolated Systems

An expressive part of Legal already mentioned reasons, Amazon region is not serviced the lack of a scale that justifies by The National Interconnected the investment in new lines System (Sistema Interligado and the region’s environmental Nacional – SIN), i.e., the characteristics interfere with corresponding electrical extending the network of transmission grid system transmission. Presently, the and set of installations and investments proposed for this equipment that enable region are to connect Boa electrical energy supply across Vista, the capital of the State transmission lines, as shown of Roraima, to the National on Figure 4 (20). Besides the Interconnected System.

19

Figura 1 - Sistemas Isolados - Ciclo 2019 Figure 5. Location of Isolated Systems. - Source: EPE (2019)

According to the National As a general rule, the isolated Electric Systems Operator systems are located in the (Operador Nacional do Sistema center of municipalities, Elétrico – ONS), any generation whereas the remote regions system which is not connected of isolated systems involve to SIN is qualified as an isolated small groups that are distant system (21). Presently there from the municipalities and are are 235 isolated areas in Brazil characterized by the absence of and most of these systems are economy of scale or populational located in the Amazon region, density (21). mainly in the states of Rondônia, Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Most isolated systems use diesel- Amapá and Pará (22), as shown powered generator systems for on Figure 5 (23). electrical energy generation.

20 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People

12 Planejamento do atendimento aos sistemas isolados – Horizonte 2024 – Ciclo 2019 Such systems have high generation costs, low efficiency and high maintenance necessities, commercialization generates state besides having a complex income by means of tax collection, fuel transportation logistics such as the Operations Referring and emissions of greenhouse to Goods Circulation and Services gases. On the other hand, the Rendering Tax (Imposto sobre use of diesel in the region is Operações relativas à Circulação widespread, the supply chains de Mercadorias e Prestação de are well structured and this fuel Serviços – ICMS) (5). 3.2 The electricity access exclusion and the Amazon peoples’ development challenges

The Amazon region is the last supplied, the better the obtained mile for universalization of electric monetary value, increasing energy access in the country. the concessionaires basis for Many reasons for exclusion exist, remuneration. In national terms, beginning with the distributors’ the importance of the Light economic-financial conditions, for All program is undeniable. the market characteristics, the Promoted between 2004 and necessary investments and the 2019, the program has been the absence of an adequate policy, most important one developed according to the regional energy in the country, making 3.4 supply specificities. million electrical connections The universalization policies feasible and benefitting 16.5 developed until today have million people, according to given priority to the investments the Brazilian Central Power associated with the distribution (Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras networks expansion, by S.A. – Eletrobras) data, which is following a logic that says that responsible for operationalizing the higher the number of units the program (16).

21 no. 10.221, of February 5, 2020, the More Light for the Amazon Program (Programa Mais Luz But, after all these years of para a Amazônia – MLA). The policies for energy access MLA focus is to serve the remote universalization, the Legal populations in the Legal Amazon Amazon remote communities’ Region (24). This program, despite challenge only recently has begun being very similar to Light for to be addressed. According All, provides efforts to supply to the Institute for Energy and this region, based on renewable Environment estimates, there are energy sources. The initial purpose presently about 1 million people of the program is to render with no electric energy access in services to 70,000 families by the region (9). Out of this total, 2022 (25). approximately 500,000 people live in remote communities, the Some evidence shows that it is supply of which is dependent on necessary to define strategies off-grid generation systems, i.e., to accelerate and improve this with no connection whatsoever process, by considering that the to the distribution network. country is not providing a large Despite the relatively lower part of its population their right access exclusion estimates as to energy. In the current context, compared to the Light for All it is likely that the program will historical figures, the challenges be postponed, as, according to will not be less difficult. The MME information, it is expected communities’ access difficulties, that the Legal Amazon region the North Region Concessionaires’ will be completely universalized investment priorities, and the in 2030 and the program goes lack of a business model that until 2022 (26). attracts investors, have a trend to The possible postponement negatively impact the process. of universalization is linked Based on these challenges, to two main factors. The Ministry of Mines and Energies first one is the way by which (Ministério de Minas e Energia – the universalization policy is MME) has created, as per Decree organized, as the processes

22 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People validity is much more dependent Another worry is about the need on the rhythm determined by the to have adequate levels of energy distributors with permission by supply so that the Amazon the National Agency of Electric people can develop themselves, Energy (Agência Nacional de meeting the needs related to the Energia Elétrica – Aneel), than productive, cultural, educational by the communities’ needs. The and health care activities.7 second is related to the program costs, covered by the Energetic Development Account (Conta de Desenvolvimento Energético – CDE). As the tax budget is formed by several other items and exerts pressure on the tariffs, it is possible to have stimulus to limit the universalization program investments in order to reduce such tax impact. As the consuming units supply cost tends to be higher than the one of previous programs, the project’s implementation will be extended for years, as mentioned by MME.6

6. With this reality it is urgent to review the subsidies that impact the Energy Devel- opment Account, keeping up those that are necessary and have a high social return, such as the universalization policies.

7. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) (27), in households, access to electricity should initially make some basic services feasible, such as lighting, cell phone recharging, radio, refrigerator, fan and television set; and ideally, there should be an increase in the availability of energy over time, until it reaches the levels of the regional average. Considering the use of standard equipment, access to these ser- vices corresponds to a monthly consumption of 104 kWh, and, in the case of the use of efficient devices, 35 kWh.

23 MLA advances in order to show results of different renewable this priority. However, it would energy initiatives in Amazon be important that it should also isolated communities where be forecast in the program’s more than 8,900 people have regulations.8 This would provide been directly benefited. The more clarity for the distributors, end uses of energy can be the Brazilian Central Power and examined in Table 2 (29). The the Ministry of Mines and Energies. energy demands find similarity in Important repressed demand essential services, distributed in for electricity should also be productive, social and residential addressed. services. In parallel to the Xingu case, that is detailed as follows, Furthermore, it will be of there are common demands fundamental importance that the for water supply, sanitation, distributed generation systems communication, illumination and implementation processes food conservation, among consider the communities free, other services. prior, informed consultation protocols and show a certain But cultural aspects and each degree of flexibility for peoples’ organization have an adaptations, according to specific influence in their relationship needs of each community. with the electric energy: larger Considering the multiplicity settlements, for their population, of people and their different and community central areas, for their strategic position, tend demands, the electric energy uses to have higher energy demands. can vary, according to the way the These factors can result in specific community is organized (28). needs, justifying differences in In this context, the World Wildlife approaching each community’s Fund (WWF) has surveyed the energy demand.

8. The Aneel Normative Resolution number 493 of 2012, that regulates the criteria for attendance by means of an Individual Electricity Generation System with Intermittent Source (Sistema Individual de Geração de Energia Elétrica com Fonte Intermitente – SIGFI) or Isolated Electricity Generation and Distribution Microsystem (Microssistema Isolado de Geração e Distribuição de Energia Elétrica – MIGDI), determines a 80 kWh/ month per consumed unit limit.

24 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People Energetic Productive Household Public services services activities activities

Human supply Water supply, Irrigation, cleaning (drink, take a bath, irrigation and and extraction, Sanitation dish washing, sanitation products processing laundry, etc.)

Communication Access to news, (TV, radio, Entertainment, coordination with telephone, access to Teaching activities suppliers and computer and information etc. dealers, etc. internet)

Milling, grinding, Use of small home Food processing pealing of natural appliances ---- agriculture products (blender etc.) (manioc etc.)

Refrigeration and Conservation of ice production Refrigeration of Refrigeration of food and other to preserve food vaccines products commercialized products (fish etc.)

Illumination of Night courses Illumination corrals, poultry Home Illumination and community farms fields etc. establishments

Leisure, Production of Home Appliances entertainment Energy generation artifacts, use of (ventilator etc.) and several electric fence etc. community’s uses

Table 2. Energy uses by isolated communities in the Amazon - Source: Adapted from WWF (2020)

25 26 Queimadas no Corredor Xingu ingu River Basin de Diversidade Socioambiental represents an important X diversity of Amazon social-environmental heritage (30). It is the second largest Indigenous Lands corridor in the national territory, with a total of 139,517 sq.km. When added to the conservation units in the basin, these lands form the largest continuous corridor of protected areas in Brazil, with approximately 27 million hectares, located in 40 municipalities of Pará and Mato Grosso states. In these lands, hundreds of families live along the riverbanks and 26 Indigenous Peoples, forming a population of more than 17,000 inhabitants. The corridor is located on the Amazon agriculture frontier, a region that is under intense pressure from agriculture, mining and illegal activities connected to land grabbing, logging, and land clearing, according to Figure 6. Most people who live in the corridor guarantee their subsistence from the forest with the production of items such as Figure 6. Indigenous Lands Corridor cashew nut, rubber, honey, tonka and Conservation Units in Xingu River beans and vegetable oil. Basin. - Source: ISA.

27 Some of these items have been produced for a long time, while other forest products are in development by community associations, which belong to Xingu+ Network (Rede Xingu+). Gradually, these associations are adhering to the Origins Brazil (Origens Brasil) initiative, the purpose of which is the commercialization of low forest impact production with fair trade This is a multi-ethnical territory, criteria that adds value to the with several languages and socio-environmental services that cosmological systems and a are provided by these people. distinctly organized internal policy. The system enables above The settlements are located average incomes in the region, along the 1,500 km of rivers stimulating sustainable initiatives that cross the municipalities of for income generation, preserving Canarana, , São Félix the forest peoples’ cultures and do Araguaia, São José do Xingu, strengthening local associations. Gaúcha do Norte, , Querência, União do Sul, Nova TIX is in the Southern part of Ubiratã e Marcelândia, all of them the corridor, which is formed in Mato Grosso state. by the contiguous territories of the and The TIX geographic limits with the Wawi, Batovi and Pequizal most of these municipalities do Naruvotu Indigenous lands, represent a management distributed across 2,825,470 challenge. The Indigenous people hectares of land, which shares the should be capable of planning and same administrative management give priority to their demands, structure. There are a total of 16 by organizing their political Indigenous ethnicities, located in participation in each one of the more than 100 settlements, with cities, without losing sight of TIX an approximate population of personality as the main territorial 7,000 inhabitants. unit. This is accomplished

28 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People based on the dialogue between The energy insecurity is the communities and their connected to the increasing associations with a number demand for commodities to of municipal administrative meet the collective needs and to jurisdictions which, although difficulties and the high costs of they are accountable for a obtaining diesel fuel. Adding to number of public policy actions that, the Special Secretariat for linked to the Indigenous people, Indigenous Health fuel supply they usually are unaware of the is inconsistent, and the dispute Indigenist policies. among the settlements, as the diesel shares are supposed to go The challenges referring to energy to the community central areas, access accentuate the conditions which are places with a higher of vulnerability of a great deal of demand, as they concentrate the TIX population. Historically the health, logistics, education, the territory’s electrical energy ethnic associations service centers demand is supplied by diesel and the productive activities generators installed by the management. Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health, the National Indian In this scenario, since 2009, Foundation (Fundação Nacional ISA has been striving to find do Índio – FUNAI) and the Socio- alternatives to increase the TIX environmental Institute (Instituto communities electric power Socioambiental – ISA), whose supply. Besides supplying part administration is in charge of of the essential demand, the the communities. Many of those purposes are to increase the generator systems operate local technical knowledge and intermittently, either because to contribute to the formulation of restrictions to fuel access of appropriate public policies restriction or due to equipment for the Indigenous people who failure after a long period are excluded from the formal of usage.9 electrical energy supply systems.

9. In many communities the diesel supply is not enough to maintain a regular supply with a defined number of hours during the day, and there are serious problems with these systems maintenance.

29 The initiatives to supply electric management planning, free, prior, energy to TIX, such as the informed consultation protocols, Xingu Solar Project, described associations, forest products, as follows, are examples of local technicians formation some of the several realities and in energy and studies of the challenges to be confronted in energy access impact analysis. the Amazon. These initiatives Therefore, they can help in the deserve to be pointed out as actions proposed to increase the they include energy potential energy infrastructure to meet the studies, pilot-projects for communities’ needs. This should community energy access, be done with dialogue, adequate analysis of service providing technologies to each and every scenarios, internal governance reality and stimulus for local assemblies, territorial management and innovation.

4.1 Xingu Solar Project

The Xingu Solar Project was on potential sites and supported implemented by ISA in the by structured community Xingu Indigenous Land between management arrangements. December 2015 and September Specifically, the project had three 2019, having as partner the Xingu components: Indigenous Land Association (Associação Terra Indígena do 1. Install off-grid solar energy Xingu – ATIX) and the Institute systems in community of Energy and Environment facilities; (Instituto de Energia e Meio 2. Train a minimum of 100 local Ambiente – IEE) of University of indigenous electricians; and São Paulo (Universidade de São 3. Build and promote local Paulo – USP).10 Its objective was replicable facilities and to plan and implement a reference management systems for model for generating solar energy clean electricity outside the in isolated communities, based generation grid.

10. Xingu Solar was developed with the support of the Mott Foundation, which, within its Energy Access portfolio, aims to provide financial support for the development of clean energy projects.

30 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People Basic demands Additional demands

• Water supply • Internet communication • Radio communication • Audio visual production centers • Dental treatment rooms • Vehicle maintenance • Refrigeration to conserve equipment vaccines, serum and medication • Production units • Medical devices • Printers • Portable devices charging • Computers • Flashlights charging • Spaces for meeting and events • Illumination of public use buildings such as schools and health units • Health equipment operation (mainly oxygen inhalers) • Home illumination • Communication and telephone • Food conservation • TV sets, satellite receptor and sound equipment • Tools that facilitate home construction • Tools that facilitate artifacts confection • Manioc grating

Table 3. Demands for Energy in the Villages

31 work and dialogue with the local Indigenous communities, which has enabled it to identify energy demand in village and community center areas, as shown in Table 3. Whereas the basic energy demands To comply with these are common in the villages, provisions, solar energy regardless the number of and mini networks were inhabitants, additional demands installed, with buried electric are generally requested in transmission lines. The project community centers and more provided electricity at TIX populated villages. to supply 4 schools and 52 attached classrooms; 37 Among the alternatives to help health facilities; internet at in the electric energy supply to 14 locations; 12 community meet these demands, the most offices; 7 houses for honey feasible option was photovoltaic production and 4 houses for energy because of the relative seed processing. In addition, ease of appropriating this indigenous technicians were technology by members of the trained in the installation and communities, as most needs management of solar systems. refer to non-stop usage and because solar maintenance Therefore, more broadly, the does not place difficulties to the initiative contributes to the families’ daily activities. On the formulation of public policies that other hand, it has limitations and meet the demand for electricity restrictions in terms of supplying from isolated communities great quantities of energy. considering the cultural Larger investment is needed to specificities of these peoples. buy solar systems to operate ISA has 25 years of accumulated larger pieces of equipment and experience in permanent storage systems needed to store

32 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People energy. Important technological advances have been made in solar batteries in recent years. Though costs have reduced, relatively high investments are still required. The general perception among As per the Indigenous Peoples’ the TIX residents who have perception, the health services received the solar systems is a are very important to maintain positive one (31). Considering their way of life: “without health that they have been installed on one does not have culture, community buildings, the best isn’t it? If you have health you benefits that are observed by have how to practice your the residents and by participants culture, dance, hunt, fish, each of other projects in Xingu, are are connected to the other in the health area. According (sic)”, says Kamatxi , to Evelin Plácido, who is a an Indigenous motion-picture nurse in the Xingu Project of producer of Pavuru pole (32). São Paulo Federal University Another aspect described on (Universidade Federal de São the subject of health, is the Paulo – Unifesp), “the electric greater safety in electric energy energy enables access to availability as compared to diesel- drinking water, dental service powered generator systems, to and materials sterilization. guarantee the adequate serum Furthermore, it enables the conservation against snake bites immunization within the territory, and vaccines, according to Marité and the communication and Txicao, Indigenous Health Agent: telemedicine access” (32). With “today we suffer many snake the electric energy and the bites, for example. Then, there at technological incorporation of the community center, we can’t access, Indigenous health care is conserve the snake bite serum improved (33). due to the energy problem,

33 fossil fuel to generate energy (31). The concerns among groups that have received electric power generation systems and those who have not are very similar. They are about the non-community based electric because the generator is turned energy usage – mainly by the off over a period of time. This young people – the for more serum must be refrigerated all technical training for systems the time, but the generator can’t maintenance, the lack of spare remain on for 24 hours. Talking parts and the insufficient about solar energy, on the other electric energy power for the hand, it will be enough and will equipment in villages. be the positive point so that we As most of these communities’ can have the snake bites serum, are organized based on and mainly vaccines, conserved the providing services to in each first aid station that we the collective interest, the have in the community center questions about the electric areas” (32).11 energy availability, its uses The Indigenous people also and the systems operation are point out that solar panels cause discussed in groups in order less environmental impact as to develop more adequate compared to diesel generator solutions to their way of life, i.e., systems. Among the reasons, Xingu solutions are much more they mention the lack of noise, efficient for solving problems, the reduction in greenhouse according to Paulo Junqueira, effect gas emissions and the joint coordinator of the Xingu freedom from dependence on Project at ISA (32).

11. There are structures at the community center areas to store the snake bite serum, but due to health protocols that require the presence of a doctor at the place, the serum is not available yet.

34 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People The State and Municipal Energy Development Program (Programa de Desenvolvimento Energético dos Estados e Municípios – Prodeem), one of the first initiatives of the federal government to enable the installation of energy systems in isolated communities, provided for the training of community personnel to carry out preventive and corrective maintenance of the facilities (34). However, due to the lack of monitoring and evaluation, the systems were deactivated (35). In the Light for All Program, the dynamics were different: the distributor was responsible for the installation and maintenance of the power generation systems.

Faced with these two experiences, initiatives such as the Xingu Solar Project demonstrate the importance of technical training, community involvement and technological appropriation as ways to ensure the sustainability of the action. In the context of the MLA, which reinforces the need for decentralized actions, the management of energy generation systems by the community itself can also strengthen peoples’ autonomy and expand the sense of belonging.

Therefore, replicating this experience under the More Light for the Amazon can reduce the costs of installation, operation and maintenance – reducing the pressure on the Energy Development Account –, and enable the generation of jobs at the local level. Thus, a portion of the beneficiaries would be responsible consumers and maintainers of the systems.

Box 1. Lessons learned and the role of communities in the management of generation systems in remote regions

35 36 s described before, this document consists A of an Idec and ISA contribution for the discussions of Energy and Communities Network and the society in general about the electric energy access universalization policies in In this context, we must evaluate the Legal Amazon. strategies that could accelerate The Covid-19 pandemic made this process because the timing evident the vulnerable situation forecasted means an important of the people who live in remote part of the population in the regions due to the lack of country will remain pushed aside access to essential services. As from receiving their rights to demonstrated, access to electric modern electrical energy and energy improves the quality its benefits for a long time. This of life, can help in confronting evaluation should determine a the public health crisis and common agenda based on the strengthens community resilience. articulation among different actors – civil society, MME, According to the MME, the electric utility concessions universalization of electric and the regulatory agency – in energy access in the country is collaboration with the Indigenous forecast to occur in six to ten People and community leaders. years. Depending on how it is organized, the process term is The starting point is the much more dependent on the production of a complete rhythm and timing established community mapping of remote by the distributors with areas with no energy access to authorization by the National prepare an updated national rural Agency of Electric Energy, than electrification plan. Such a plan by the communities’ needs. should be designed based on

37 communities’ survey protocols, to assure the full meeting of families’ and each people’s productive demands, considering the existing sociocultural diversity. Therefore, it will be possible to support sustainable development based on stimulating productive value chains that are connected to the low-impact forest economy, the capacity building program for conservation of the environment the systems’ overall sustainability and protection of the territory. and operation and management. Furthermore, it is necessary The successful mapping to have integration with other initiatives demonstrates that government policies and local operation and maintenance programs, as the communities’ by the communities or their sustainable development is also associations contribute to these dependent on actions in the areas peoples’ autonomy and long-term of health, education, housing, sustainability. basic sanitation and food security. Finally, considering these This can contribute to improving recommendations and the the quality of life quality and points that have been studied maintaining their culture. throughout this document, Also, besides the implementation both organizations recommend of solar distributed generation the the following points for systems in remote regions consideration in policies to to expand the service, the implement and accelerate universalization policy should universalization of clean energy forecast a robust training and access in the years to come:

38 Energy Exclusion and Resilience of Amazon People To give priority to To strive for alternatives installations that permit that facilitate the systems access to basic health implementation. services and potable water. To verify if the energy To use technologies that generation systems facilitate project planning, management can be implementation, and accomplished by the operation. community. To help different actors’ To ensure transparency articulation to accelerate the of the timeline and electric energy access and criteria to define the overcome energy exclusion distributors’ established in the Legal Amazon. objectives, with frequent monitoring and rendering To enable the communities’ of accounts. access to safe, sustainable, and low environmental impact To determine a date energy services, with the for conclusion of energy supply in sufficient universalization of clean levels to guarantee that energy access in the residential and productive Amazon region. needs are met.

39 6. References

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