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Dear ASL Friends,
In recent months we have commemorated several significant dates dedicated to conservation: International Day for Biological Diversity, World Migratory Fish Day, Endangered Species Day, and World Environment Day. These celebrations serve as reminders of the Amazon region’s vital importance.
In this edition of our newsletter, we are excited to share updates on our national projects working to safeguard this precious region through initiatives that actively engage with local communities. Additionally, we are launching a new section: "Echoes of the Amazon," where we spotlight experts working in conservation from diverse perspectives. Below, we shine a spotlight on Peruvian Dennis del Castillo, whose invaluable contributions to wetland preservation have been remarkable. We encourage you to delve deeper into his story and we look forward to featuring more experts.
We extend our gratitude for your continued support to ASL's conservation efforts. Please feel free to share insights and content that could be relevant to our community via email or our website.
Warm regards,
The ASL Regional Team
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Feature Story: Preserving Amazon Treasures | |
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The Amazon, home to 10% of the world's known species, is an example of the immense biodiversity of our planet. The region's animal and plant species maintain a delicate ecological balance and provide essential goods and services from food and water to medicine and energy. However, threats such as deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation of ecosystems put this biodiversity at risk. On World Endangered Species Day, we highlighted three emblematic species of the region (the pink dolphin, turtles and jaguar) and the actions that ASL national projects are taking to protect them.
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Stories from our active national projects | |
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Representatives of ASL projects attend
First Meeting of Ecological Connectivity Corridors
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On May 22–23, the First National Meeting of Ecological Connectivity Corridors was held in Quito, Ecuador, bringing together more than 250 participants including representatives of decentralized autonomous governments, Indigenous leaders, national authorities, NGOs and international experts. Among the experts, representatives of ASL projects from Colombia, Peru, and Brazil attended and shared their experiences. The event was developed thanks to the support of the ASL project "Amazonian Connectivity Corridors," and its collaboration between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE), CI-Ecuador, WWF-Ecuador, COSPE, ECOLEX, BYOS, NCI and WCS Ecuador. | |
Strengthening institutions supports local authorities to implement and enforce environmental policies – Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Brazil | |
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Strengthening institutions is crucial to support authorities in implementing policies to protect the Brazilian Amazon. In Rondônia, the ASL Brazil project has trained employees of the State Secretariat for Environmental Development (Sedam) in compliance and environmental monitoring, in addition to providing equipment such as drones and vehicles to ensure the continuity of the project. Photo: Geovani Marx Rosa
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Biocultural restoration efforts in Protected Areas – Heart of the Amazon Project | |
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The Heart of the Amazon Project (CA) has outlined a strategic route to restore 1,707 hectares of degraded landscapes and protected areas through a process that integrates scientific and traditional knowledge. The efforts, executed in the field by Colombia’s National Natural Parks System, the Sinchi Institute, Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the North and East Amazon, and Corpoamazonia, are based on biocultural restoration and landscape management tools, implemented following the signing of political or conservation and restoration agreements with the communities and participating families.
The First Meeting on Biocultural Restoration in Protected Areas Related to Indigenous Territories was recently organized in the Amacayacu National Natural Park.
Read the article and watch the video.
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Mural raises awareness about the importance of ecological connectivity in the Ecuadorian Amazon – Amazon Connectivity Corridors Project, Ecuador | |
At the end of May, the vibrant mural “Paint, Sow and Conserve” was unveiled at the Amazon Connectivity Corridors event in Puyo, Ecuador, where ASL’s Amazon Connectivity Corridors Project was presented and that engaged more than 36 local actors and emphasized the bond between farmers and nature as well as the conservation of forested areas. The mural was created as part of a campaign by Conservation International and Ecuador’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. | |
Strategic alliance will promote sustainable tourism in the Tingo Maria National Park – Securing the Future of the Protected Natural Areas of Peru | |
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Recently, an alliance between SERNANP and the Jockey Plaza Shopping Center in Lima, Peru, has enhanced their visitor experience at "La Cueva de las Lechuzas" (Owls' Cave).
This collaboration introduced a "photographic nest" intervention, diversifying recreational activities and promoting awareness about conservation that has strengthened sustainable tourism efforts carried out by the project in the Tingo María National Park.
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Boosting Amazon conservation by optimizing budgets – Sustainable Productive Landscapes in the Peruvian Amazon | |
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Officials from eight regional governments in Peru have been trained to optimize budget allocation to promote the conservation and restoration of degraded areas. This collaborative effort underscores a proactive approach to sustainable land management, representing a significant advancement for environmental conservation in the Amazon region.
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ASL participates in Amazon Waters Week 2024
in Manaus, Brazil
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At the Amazon Waters Week 2024 in Manaus, Brazil, the Amazon Waters Alliance, with WCS as the host organization and with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, USAID, The Nature Conservancy, and Florida International University, presented its vision of an integrated and interconnected Amazon Basin. The goal is to maintain the ecological, socio-cultural, and institutional diversity of the region, from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, with the support of local and global communities that value and protect their resources. Sandra Berman from the ASL team shared lessons on transboundary cooperation efforts in a panel discussion. Photo credit: (1) Amazon Waters (2) Coica Instagram
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Replay previous ASL webinars | |
ASL-recommended publications & resources | |
* ASL partners and teams: Please share with us your publications to showcase in future newsletters. | |
Invitation to young scientists to join the Amazon Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) | |
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The Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) will establish a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to engage the next generation of scientists in the region and ensure their work has a wider reach.
Applications will be open until July 24th!
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"Where Rivers Meet": A documentary on the Putumayo-Içá Biocultural Corridor | |
"Where Rivers Meet" is a mini-documentary about the 4th Meeting of the Biological and Cultural Corridor in Putumayo-Içá, organized by the Keller Science Action Center, which highlights the collaboration of communities and organizations from Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. This short film, created by young Indigenous videographers, shows the connection between the community and the land and promotes the preservation of biocultural diversity. | |
MAAP report reveals economic losses of more than $593 million in the Peruvian Amazon caused by illegal gold mining | |
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Illegal gold mining continues to cause massive damage in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon affecting the main and secondary rivers with sediments and toxic elements such as mercury. The Conservation Strategy Fund's Gold Mining Impacts Calculator is a digital tool to accurately assess the social and environmental impacts of this illicit activity. The recently published MAAP report #196 reveals that between 2022 and August 2023 alone, economic losses from these impacts in three Indigenous communities in Madre de Dios reached $593 million. Initially created for Brazil, the ASL is pleased to have supported the adaptation of the calculator for Peru and Colombia.
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The World Bank offers inclusive internship opportunities for graduate students in Latin America and the Caribbean | |
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The World Bank's Inclusive Internship Program for Latin America and the Caribbean offers graduate students opportunities to contribute to the development of the region. This program is especially oriented to Afro-descendants, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, LGBT+ community and other minorities, with programs ranging from two to six months in various disciplines such as economics, finance, and environment. Those selected will receive training, mentoring, and experience in a diverse environment, working on specific projects in various countries in the region.
The application period will be open through July 18th.
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Featuring: Dennis del Castillo, Peru | |
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Dennis del Castillo, a Peruvian expert in Amazonian wetlands, has transcended borders thanks to his passion for conservation. He currently serves as Director of Forest Management Research at the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) but has extensive experience implementing integrated rural development and biodiversity conservation projects in the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon, as well as in Madagascar and Green Cape, through his work with IIAP, USAID, the World Bank and the European Commission. Through IIAP, Dennis has been a great supporter and collaborator of ASL in the work being designed to promote wetland conservation in the region. Photo credit: CONCYTEC
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"As someone who has lived and worked in the Amazon region for over 50 years, I can say that Amazonian wetlands are not just ecosystems; they are the soul of communities and the heart of our efforts towards a sustainable future." | |
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Peru has around 18 million hectares of wetlands, representing approximately 10% of its total area. Dennis considers these ecosystems to be vital in the Amazon, acting as the "kidneys" that provide quality water and as a source of food such as fish and fruit, and services such as nature tourism. Among these wetlands are peatlands, which cover approximately 3 million hectares in the country and are especially crucial in climate change mitigation due to their high carbon content.
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Dennis considers himself a dreamer who envisions a future in which the ancestral knowledge of Amazonian communities about wetlands is valued and fully exploited. Such a future includes an environment that allows dialogue and complementarity between the various branches of human knowledge resulting from modern science and traditional knowledge. According to Dennis, fundamental dialogue and collaboration for the sustainable management of natural resources must take place between Amazonian countries so that joint solutions can be found for the challenges that affect all.
Photo credits: Dennis del Castillo
"There is still much to learn about how wetlands can contribute to the fight against climate change, including mitigation, adaptation, and food security," said Dennis.
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The Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program (ASL), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the World Bank, adopts an integrated regional approach across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname. Its primary objective is to enhance integrated landscape management and ecosystem conservation in priority areas of the Amazon. In June 2023, the GEF Council approved a third phase to expand the program, incorporating eight national projects. | |
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