May 22: USAID supports projects focused on biodiversity conservation
May, 2022 - “Building a shared future for all life” is our theme for this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated on May 22. It aims to draw the attention of governments, authorities, and society to damages to biodiversity caused by human actions. It seeks support for the development of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, a set of conservation commitments to be discussed and agreed at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-15) later this year.
Currently, about 1 million species are under threat of extinction. Between 2010 and 2015, 32 million hectares of primary or recovering forest were lost in the tropics. Biodiversity conservation and nature-based solutions are the key to sustainable development challenges. The Amazon remains a global priority given 1 in every 10 species on Earth is native to the region. It has a critical impact on the planet's climate. This past year, USAID’s programs in the region covered 45 million hectares of forest.
USAID/Brazil reiterates its focus on supporting projects that contribute to biodiversity conservation in the Amazon rainforest and encourages sustainable income generation for traditional communities living there.
Promoting the Partnership for the Conservation of Amazon Biodiversity (PCAB) is more crucial now than it was in 2016. PCAB is an initiative that brings together a wide network of public and private organizations to boost forest preservation and improve the quality of life of Indigenous peoples and other traditional populations, such as riverine and quilombola communities.
Conservation is associated with ensuring that all people have access to a better life. This can be achieved through the promotion of sustainable economic opportunities, such as the Brazil nut, pirarucu, açaí, and essential oil value chains.
Learn about PCAB-supported projects that contribute to improving the socioeconomic conditions of traditional populations and preserve the standing forest here:
. Amazon Seeds: a source of income for traditional communities that preserve standing forest. USAID/Brazil supports the Médio Juruá Territory Program, which, among other actions, strengthens the seed and oil chain, benefiting 2,652 riverine people.
. Biodiversity Monitoring: forest peoples and researchers exchange experiences in a biodiversity monitoring program during Knowledge Gatherings, under the Participatory Biodiversity Monitoring Project (MPB).
Learn more about the PCAB and its partners here.
