Indigenous people make up the majority of the population of the Médio Rio Negro region of Amazonas State, one of the more remote Brazilian states where primary forests are relatively intact. The nearly 800,000 acre Médio Rio Negro II Indigenous Reserve is inhabited by seven distinct ethnic groups – the Arapasso, Desana, Tukano, Baniwa, Baré, Tariano, and Piratapuya. For over ten years, the indigenous and other traditional communities of the region have been organizing themselves into community associations to confront the challenges presented by the expansion of the activities of non-indigenous actors within the area and have looked for new ways to address the complex social and environmental issues faced by their communities. Private agribusiness and extractive industries subject to minimal regulation or inspection have steadily made inroads into the reserve, which has created critical situations with respect to socio-environmental sustainability.
In 2008, ACT began a partnership with the communities of the Médio Rio Negro II Indigenous Reserve to help them complete management plans for reserve lands and to fortify the capabilities of their indigenous association.
Selected Achievements
- ACT guided the Médio Rio Negro II Indigenous Reserve communities in the generation of a reserve management plan and risk maps.
- Formal legal status achieved for the Médio Rio Negro II reserve community association.
Current Activities
Management of Indigenous Lands
Diagnostic and Threat Analysis
In 2008, ACT completed an exercise with the communities of the Médio Rio Negro II Indigenous lands to review the legal framework for the reserve and to draft diagnostic and threat analyses of the territory. The efforts are the first step in an effort to develop sound land management strategies with the communities.
Management Plan and Risk Maps
ACT and the reserve's association ACIR have completed risk maps and a management plan for the reserve. The maps locate and identify the current risks and threats to conserving the area's natural resources along with their potential impacts on local communities; ACT will be assisting ACIR in the plan's implementation.
Indigenous Association Building
Legal Establishment of Indigenous Association
The association of indigenous and riverine communities of the Médio Rio Negro II Indigenous Lands, ACIR (Associação das Comunidades Indígenas e Ribeirinhas), has existed for the last 16 years, but until recently lacked formal legal status before state and local authorities. ACT provided the association with legal and administrative guidance so that ACIR could obtain official recognition. The association is now in a position to independently attract and manage projects and resources for its communities.
