The Juma Reserve, in the Amazon, is the first one in Brazil to receive international certification for avoided deforestation
Source: 1
(14/10/2008 / )
The Juma Sustainable Development Reserve Project, in the State of Amazonas, one of the 34 conservation units under the sphere of action of FAS - Portuguese acronym for Amazonas Sustainable Foundation - received on September 30th the validation by the Standard CCBA - Climate Community and Biodiversity Alliance - issued by the German audit company Tüv Süd. The project, developed by FAS, earned the top score in the category Gold, the first in the world to be included in that standard. Moreover, the Juma Reserve is the first in Brazil and in the Americas to be certified for avoided deforestation.
This is the first Brazilian project involving RED (Reduction of Emissions of Green House Effect Gases from Deforestation). Estimations calculate a contention of deforestation of 366,151 hectares of tropical rain forest, of the total 589.612 hectares which make up the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve. Until the end of the first period of certification, in 2016, it is expected to avert the emission of at least 3,611,723 tons of CO2e. The project will end its activities in 2050, when it is likely to have generated credits of 189,767,027 tons of CO2e.
The Juma Sustainable Development Reserve, in the municipality of Novo Aripuanã, borders the road AM-174, a high risk deforestation region. The Reserve was established by the Government of the State of Amazonas in 2006 aiming at reducing deforestation, protecting forests with high value of biodiversity as well as enhancing the life quality of the 322 families of traditional populations which presently inhabit inside the limits of the Reserve.
Since 2003, 21 new State conservation units have been established - approximately 10 million hectares of protected areas - as part of a policy for the valorization of the environmental services offered by the forest, which have been recognized by the State of Amazonas Law on Policy of Climate Change, Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development (Law 3135/2007).
The project was developed by the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation in a partnership with SDS - Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of the State of Amazonas, and IDESAM - Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of Amazonas. FAS was responsible for the general and scientific coordination and SDS for the institutional and technical support of the project. IDESAM coordinated the technical elaboration of the Project Design Document (PDD) and the process of CCBA validation. Besides, the project counted on the collaboration of researchers and professionals from INPA, IPAM, CATIE, Carbon Decisions, UFMG and PINHEIRO NETO ADVOGADOS.
In addition to the climate mitigation gains associated with the reduction of GHG from deforestation, the project aims at generating social and environmental improvements in the project area, such as: strengthening of environmental monitoring; increase in the generation of income through the promotion of sustainable businesses; enhancement of education; development of scientific research, and direct payment for environmental services through a program called "Bolsa Floresta" a "forest allowance" with four categories (Bolsa Floresta Family, Bolsa Floresta Social, Bolsa Floresta Association and Bolsa Floresta Income).
The resources necessary to cover the operational costs of implementing the project come from the incomes of the fund of the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation and, in the future, its maintenance will depend on the commercialization of carbon credits. Moreover, there will be, from the end of 2008 on, the sponsorship of the hotel chain Marriott International, with resources in the order of US$ 2 million in four years. Marriott's guests will be offered an option to offset their emissions at US$ 1 per night. The referred amount will be entirely invested in the Juma reserve in order to complement the project.
According to Professor Virgilio Viana, General Director of the Amazonas Sustainable Founddation, "that innovative project will have a great importance in the international arena, where the rules for the inclusion of forest carbon in the commitment period after Kyoto (2012) have been discussed". The Director also observes that "the validation of the methodology RED shows that all the technical problems can be overcome and the forest carbon, as a matter of fact, may play a decisive role in the mitigation of global climate changes".
The Amazon Sustainable Foundation is a nonprofit institution of public interest, established in December 2007 through a partnership of the Government of the State of Amazonas and Bradesco Bank. Each institution gave donations of R$ 20 millions. Its activities focus on the implementation of projects which promote the sustainable development in the 34 conservation units of the State of Amazonas, aiming at the environmental conservation and at the improvement of life quality of traditional populations in a area of 16, 4 million hectares.
