Amazonian protected areas benefit both people and biodiversity

Date:
September 27, 2021
Source:
University of East Anglia
Summary:
Highly positive social outcomes are linked to biodiversity
efforts in Amazonian Sustainable-Use Protected Areas, according
to new research. The study investigated the social consequences
of living both inside and outside Sustainable-Use Protected
Areas containing aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Brazil's
state of Amazonas. Researchers used data from more than 80 local
semi-subsistence communities along a 2,000- km section of the Jurua'
River, the second-longest tributary of the Amazon River.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Highly positive social outcomes are linked to biodiversity efforts in
Amazonian Sustainable-Use Protected Areas, according to new research
from the University of East Anglia (UEA).


==========================================================================
The study investigated the social consequences of living both inside and outside Sustainable-Use Protected Areas containing aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Brazil's state of Amazonas. Researchers used data from more
than 80 local semi-subsistence communities along a 2,000-km section of
the Jurua' River, the second-longest tributary of the Amazon River.

Amazonian Sustainable-Use Protected Areas (PA) are a joint initiative
sponsored by government agencies to expand protection of the Amazon
rainforest in Brazil.

Communities inside the PAs consistently enjoy better access to health
care, education, electricity, basic sanitation and communication infrastructure, according to research published in the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper, 'Sustainable-use
protected areas catalyze enhanced livelihoods in rural Amazonia', is
published today.

The research was co-led by Dr Joa~o Campos-Silva, a postdoctoral
researcher at Norwegian University of Life Sciences with Carlos Peres,
a Professor of Conservation Science at UEA's School of Environmental
Sciences.

Less tangible measures of welfare, such as perceptions of the future, were
also better in communities inside PAs. Moreover, living within a PA was
the strongest predictor of household wealth, followed by cash-transfer
programs and family size (number of people per household). These
collective co-benefits clearly influence life satisfaction, with only five
per cent of all adult residents inside PAs aspiring to migrate to urban centres, compared to 58 per cent of adults living in unprotected areas.



==========================================================================
The researchers said sustainable-use PAs can encourage multi-partnerships, strong local associations, land tenure, co-management, economic subsidies, strong leadership, public policies and polycentric governance -- resulting
in clearly enhanced local welfare well beyond biodiversity protection.

Tropical PAs are typically understaffed and underfunded and will continue
to become increasingly degraded due to poor resource management, growing populations and external encroachment, the researchers said. It remains
unclear how to implement existing PAs under conditions of scarce financial resources, if not hostile political climates.

Prof Peres said: "Contrary to the prevailing perception in rural
development, local communities can accrue substantial benefits, rather
than incur opportunity costs, from tropical forest protected areas.

"These protected areas (PAs) can, therefore, deliver multiple co-benefits
to different stakeholders at local to global scales. This is particularly
the case of tropical freshwater systems worldwide, which are poorly
managed, yet are inhabited by hundreds of millions of local users.

"In low-governance tropical regions, where PAs are severely starved
by dysfunctional environmental agencies, it is critical to forge
successful working alliances with local communities that can ensure
win-win socioecological outcomes." Dr Campos-Silva said: "Beyond a conservation triumph, well-implemented sustainable-use protected areas
can work as a socio-ecological laboratory, where new conservation tools
can be developed and expanded to larger scales, aligning social welfare
and biodiversity protection within Amazonia." With the Brazilian
PAs severely understaffed and underfunded, affecting implementation, strengthening the Amazonian PA network toward a full implementation is imperative for both government- and non-government agencies that aspire
to a sustainable future for Amazonia that is socially fair.

Prof Peres said: "The new study is a story of optimism that provides a
rare positive outlook on the future of protected areas in many developing countries." The study was carried out under the full support of Instituto Jurua', a non- profit conservation NGO working in the Amazon.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_East_Anglia. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Joa~o V. Campos-Silva, Carlos A. Peres, Joseph E. Hawes, Torbjo/rn
Haugaasen, Carolina T. Freitas, Richard J. Ladle, Priscila
F. M. Lopes.

Sustainable-use protected areas catalyze enhanced livelihoods in
rural Amazonia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
2021; 118 (40): e2105480118 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105480118 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210927150539.htm

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