Project Promotes Reforestation Practices In Indigenous Land

Indigenous men show resforestation area
Project Promotes Reforestation Practices In Indigenous Land
Indigenous man learns with environmental agent / Photos: AIKA
Indigenous environmental agents restore degraded areas and native vegetation

November / December, 2023 - Conducting surveys of fruit and timber tree species, setting up nurseries for native seedlings from the Amazon, and restoring degraded areas are among the activities that brigadiers and Indigenous environmental agents (called AGAMINs) have initiated in the Uaçá Indigenous Land, in the north of Brazil.

The project is part of the Forest Management and Fire Prevention Program in Brazil, carried out by the United States Forest Service (USFS) with support from USAID/Brazil. It is implemented by the National Indigenous Peoples Foundation (FUNAI), USFS, and the National Center for the Prevention and Combat of Forest Fires (PrevFogo), linked to the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA).

The Indigenous Association of the Karipuna People – AIKA was one of seven entities selected under USAID-USFS-FUNAI’s call to implement projects for the recovery of degraded areas and restoration of native vegetation on Indigenous Lands.

"We faced a tough situation with an infestation of our cassava crops. We went on a quest to find resilient seeds and other fruits to plant, so we're not putting all our hopes only on cassava. The course was a game-changer for us. We are planting sapoti, andiroba, cupuaçu, orange, and other fruits. We hope this new venture goes well, so we can sell the fruits, and increase income", explains Vanderson Narciso Iaparrá, of the Palikur People.

The visit included representatives from the NGO Iepé and the State University of Amapá. In addition to enhancing planting in areas of secondary growth and cultivating fields with important species to the Indigenous people, AGAMINs conduct experiments with seedlings for timber and fruit-bearing purposes, hoping to inspire the community to work on the restoration of devastated regions.

Located in the municipality of Oiapoque, in the state of Amapá, the Uaçá Indigenous Land is home to approximately 4,400 Indigenous People and covers 470,000 hectares of forest. The region is under pressure due to deforestation around the protected borders.The next steps for the project involves installing an irrigation system in the nursery and selecting new areas for planting crops and reforestation.

Learn more here.