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Mamirauá Reserve turns 30 and consolidates a conservation model with the participation of traditional communities

By 365 Breaking News Editorial Team August 19, 2026 at 08:49 5 min read Campinas e Região

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Over three decades, the model created in Mamirauá — based on the integration of scientific research, traditional and indigenous knowledge and participatory management — spread throughout the country and is now present in 46 Sustainable Development Reserves in different regions of Brazil. See more news from Terra da Gente, on g1: PROTECTION: Tambaqui is...

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"At that time, the creation of a conservation unit was still often associated with the removal of populations that lived in the territory", explains João Valsecchi do Amaral, general...

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Uacari monkey, symbol of the Luiz Claudio Marigo Reserve The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), in Amazonas, completed 30 years as the first conservation unit in Brazil to adopt a model in which traditional communities remain in their territories and actively participate in the protection of natural resources. ? Also follow Terra da Gente on Instagram With more than one million hectares of floodable forests, the reserve protects one of the most important floodplain ecosystems on the planet and is part of the Central Amazon Conservation Complex, recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site, in addition to being on the Ramsar Convention's list of Wetlands of International Importance. Over three decades, the model created in Mamirauá — based on the integration of scientific research, traditional and indigenous knowledge and participatory management — spread throughout the country and is now present in 46 Sustainable Development Reserves in different regions of Brazil. See more news from Terra da Gente, on g1: PROTECTION: Tambaqui is 'smaller and rarer'; understand what put it on the endangered species list NEW BEHAVIOR? Merganser uses termite mound as a nest in Serra da Canastra in an unprecedented record for science JUÇARA VALE MAIS EM PÉ: Fruit transforms reality and generates income in Vale do Ribeira A pioneering model Mamirauá's management system began to be developed based on initiatives initiated in the 1980s, in a period in which conservation models based on the exclusion of human presence from protected areas predominated. "At that time, the creation of a conservation unit was still often associated with the removal of populations that lived in the territory", explains João Valsecchi do Amaral, general director of the Mamirauá Institute. One of the main creators of this change was the biologist José Márcio Ayres (1954–2003), whose work was decisive for the creation of the reserve and for the consolidation of a new paradigm of nature conservation. Ayres died at the age of 49, but his work continues to be a reference for conservation initiatives in different parts of the world. "Mamirauá showed that it was possible to follow another path: recognizing traditional communities as protagonists of conservation, ensuring their permanence in the territory and valuing their ways of life", says Valsecchi. See what's highlighted in g1:

'Our territory was our school' For those who grew up in the reserve, daily contact with the forest shaped their relationship with conservation. This is the case of Carlos de Carvalho Gonçalves, resident of RDS Mamirauá and CEO of AMURMAM (Association of Users of Natural Resources of the Mamirauá Reserve). "My childhood in RDS Mamirauá was a lot of learning. We lived in a traditional community, where everything was common: coexistence with nature, with animals, with the community, was very valuable for who I am today. I believe that the most precious thing about living within a conservation unit is knowing that where you live is protected, and that future generations will be able to enjoy everything, feel the same nature that I felt. Mamirauá is where it all began. We, as residents, have very proud to say that our territory was our learning school for the future", reports Carlos Part of the territory of the Mamirauá Drone da Amazôniza Reserve For him, the permanence of families in the territory also depends on decent living conditions, and not just environmental preservation. "There is no point in having nature intact if there is no dignity for the riverside people, such as access to income, housing, quality transport and public policies, so that families do not need to abandon the territory in search of something better. Those who stay do not do it for money, but for the love of Mamirauá, fighting to keep the forest standing because this is our home. The great legacy is recognizing that the biome, nature and human beings walk together", he adds. Challenges for the next 30 years For the general director of the Mamirauá Institute, completing three decades is a milestone of continuity, but it also poses the challenge of adapting the model to the new scenarios faced by the Amazon. Riverine community fishing at the Mamirauá Institute Aline Fidelix "Reaching these 30 years is truly a milestone of continuity", highlights Valsecchi, pointing out the need to continue strengthening the model in the face of climate, social and economic changes in the region — "without losing sight of what has sustained the Mamirauá Reserve until now: the permanence of the communities in their territories and the commitment to cutting-edge research, at the cutting edge, with real positive impacts", he reports. VIDEOS: Highlights Terra da Gente See more content about nature on Terra da Gente