Amazonian protected areas are good for humans and biodiversity

This study investigated the social consequences of life inside and outside the sustainable use reserves (including aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems) in the Amazonian state of Brazil
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The Amazon Sustainable Utilization Protected Area (PA) is a joint initiative initiated by government agencies to expand the protection of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest
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According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), communities within PAs have consistently enjoyed better health care, education, electricity, basic sanitation and communication infrastructure
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The research was co-led by Dr.
Jo?o Campos-Silva, a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and Carlos Peres, Professor of Conservation Science, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Ansia
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In communities within PAs, less tangible welfare indicators, such as views on the future, are also better
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Researchers say that sustainable use of protected areas can encourage multi-partnership, strong local associations, land ownership, co-management, economic subsidies, strong leadership, public policies, and multi-center governance, thereby significantly improving local welfare and far Far beyond the protection of biodiversity
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Researchers say that tropical reserves are usually under-staffed and under-funded.
Tropical reserves will continue to degrade due to poor resource management, population growth, and external erosion
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Professor Perez said: "Contrary to popular beliefs about rural development, local communities can accumulate a lot of benefits from tropical forest reserves instead of incurring opportunity costs
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“As a result, these protected areas can provide multiple common benefits for different stakeholders locally and globally
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"In tropical areas with low governance, due to the dysfunction of environmental institutions and the serious shortage of protected areas, it is essential to establish successful partnerships with local communities, which can ensure a win-win social and ecological outcome
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Dr.
Campos-Silva said: “In addition to the victory in conservation, a well-implemented sustainable use reserve can serve as a social ecological laboratory where new conservation tools can be developed and expanded to a larger scale to enable the Amazon The social welfare of the region is consistent with the protection of biodiversity
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Due to the serious shortage of manpower and funds for PA in Brazil, it has affected the implementation.
Strengthening the full implementation of the Amazon PA network is a top priority for governments and non-governmental organizations that want to create a socially fair and sustainable future for the Amazon region
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Professor Perez said: "This new study is an optimistic story.
It offers rare positive prospects for the future of protected areas in many developing countries
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This research was carried out with the full support of Instituto Juruá, a non-profit conservation NGO working at Amazon

Journal Reference :

1. João V.