Bibiana A Bilbao
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Estudios Ambientales, Faculty Member
- Fire Ecology, Dynamics of tropical ecosystems, Tropical savannas, Vegetation and climate change, Estudios Medio-ambientales, Tropical Ecology, and 19 moreSoil Science, Ethnobotany, Agriculture, Geography, Pasture Management, Savanna Ecology, Nutrient Turnover, Nitrogen Cycle, global Climate change, Environmental History, Restoration Ecology, MANEJO DE CUENCAS, Palaeoecology, Indigenous Knowledge, Cuenca Hidrológica, Fire History, Fire Behaviour, Fire Management, and Traditional Ecological Knowledgeedit
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Research Interests: Tropical forest and Smoke
The main determinants of tropical savannas are plant available moisture (PAM) and plant available nutrients (PAN). Fire (F) and herbivory (H) are secondary determinants in a hierarchy of factors which produce the characteristics of any... more
The main determinants of tropical savannas are plant available moisture (PAM) and plant available nutrients (PAN). Fire (F) and herbivory (H) are secondary determinants in a hierarchy of factors which produce the characteristics of any particular savanna (Solbrig 1991). While the biodiversity of a savanna area will be influenced by the biogeographic pool of species available to the region at any given time, the structure and productivity of the savanna are controlled by PAM and PAN, which in turn also influence biodiversity. Fire and herbivory then modify biodiversity directly through the mortality of individuals and indirectly through effects on the resources by individuals using different fuel types. Also biodiversity, through the range of food resource qualities and quantities, helps to determine the impact level of herbivory on the ecosystem.
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Research Interests: Agronomy, Climate Change, Fire Ecology, Biology, Invasive species ecology, and 15 moreEcology, Fire, Invasive Species, Inflorescence, Deforestation, Fragmentation, Habitat loss, Forage, Biomass Allocation, Leaf Growth, Biomass production, Forage Quality, Leaf water potential, Growing Season, and Dry Season
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Research Interests: Geography, Climate Change, Fire Ecology, Forest Ecology And Management, Agroforestry, and 15 moreBrazil, Fire Management, Biodiversity, Environmental Sustainability, Community Participation, Guyana, Biological Sciences, Environmental Resource Management, Humans, Forests, Grassland, Fires, Ecosystem, Conservation of Natural Resources, and Indigenous
ABSTRACT During the last decade, progress in the understanding of terrestrial nitrogen cycle stress the challenge of rethinking our conceptual model of global nitrogen cycle in a changing world. Our current N cycle paradigms postulate: 1)... more
ABSTRACT During the last decade, progress in the understanding of terrestrial nitrogen cycle stress the challenge of rethinking our conceptual model of global nitrogen cycle in a changing world. Our current N cycle paradigms postulate: 1) inorganic soil N as the main source of plant N, since the plant ability to take up organic N is uncommon in nature, 2) atmosphere as the solely source of new N, disregarding the possibility of bedrock N as an important nutritional source, and 3) symbiotic N fixing in plant as the key process introducing new N from the atmosphere, overlooking biological crusts and N fixing free living organisms as important players. Since recent evidence suggest an important role of bedrock N, biological crusts and N fixing free living organisms as well as a wider distribution of plants capable of taking up organic N, here we discuss the plausibility of a paradigm's change based on worldwide application of new ideas at ecosystem level. Applying these new paradigms at ecosystem level we found that plants uptake of organic N was not worldwide distributed but rather restricted to ecosystems with low temperature, precipitation, total annual radiation and soil carbon availability (low energy availability). Despite the importance of biological crusts had been confined to arid systems, their wide distribution conferred them with ~40% of our current global estimation of N fixing. Furthermore, N fixing by free living organisms was more important in agroecosystems and natural ecosystems where temperature range is closer to the optimum for nitrogenase activity and where plant community is limited by P. Since the importance of bedrock N to N ecosystem storage depends on the global distribution of N rich sedimentary rocks and because it has not a worldwide homogeneous distribution, the relevance of that N source was confined to ecosystems capable of biomass storage over long time periods and to ecosystems with low fire frequency. While evidences supporting the plausibility of incorporating new ideas to the terrestrial N cycle, a redraw of the global nitrogen cycle is conditioned to further investigation about the effects of contemporary climatic change over these novel N cycle players.
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This chapter presents observed and predicted impacts of climate change on Amazonian ecosystems, focusing on biodiversity, ecosystem services, carbon cycling, fisheries, and emissions from biomass burning. It also considers climate and... more
This chapter presents observed and predicted impacts of climate change on Amazonian ecosystems, focusing on biodiversity, ecosystem services, carbon cycling, fisheries, and emissions from biomass burning. It also considers climate and land-use change feedbacks and highlights knowledge gaps to better understand these complex interactions.
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In 2020, intense wildfires affected 487,000 ha in the Paraná Delta. The government responded by reinforcing fire suppression and control policies and tightening regulations that criminalized the use of fire. This negatively affected local... more
In 2020, intense wildfires affected 487,000 ha in the Paraná Delta. The government responded by reinforcing fire suppression and control policies and tightening regulations that criminalized the use of fire. This negatively affected local communities and small livestock producers, who depend on the use of fire for their subsistence activities. This article summarizes for the first time the traditional use of fire in the area, and describes efforts to stimulate dialogue between local communities, environmental organizations and government agencies to share perspectives and come to a common agreement as to ways forward. Results indicate the islanders’ complex knowledge of the role of fire in the maintenance of the various grassland ecosystems, and show that dialogue can lead to effective and workable solutions.
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La deforestación y la degradación forestal son el resultado de la interacción entre varios impulsores directos que a menudo operan en tándem. El bioma amazónico había perdido aproximadamente 870.000 km2 de su cobertura forestal original,... more
La deforestación y la degradación forestal son el resultado de la interacción entre varios impulsores directos que a menudo operan en tándem. El bioma amazónico había perdido aproximadamente 870.000 km2 de su cobertura forestal original, principalmente debido a la expansión agrícola (pastizales y tierras de cultivo). Otros impulsores directos incluyen la apertura de nuevas carreteras, la construcción de represas hidroeléctricas, la explotación de minerales y petróleo y la urbanización.
This chapter discusses the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon, particularly agricultural expansion, road construction, mining, oil and gas development, forest fires, edge effects, logging, and hunting. It... more
This chapter discusses the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon, particularly agricultural expansion, road construction, mining, oil and gas development, forest fires, edge effects, logging, and hunting. It also examines these activities’ impacts and synergies between them.
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Communities in Chiapas are pioneers in fire management; for example, land users have to request burning permits from village organizations, following customary environmental management practices. This article reports on the cultural... more
Communities in Chiapas are pioneers in fire management; for example, land users have to request burning permits from village organizations, following customary environmental management practices. This article reports on the cultural management of fire by indigenous Antelá and Tziscao communities in and around Lagunas de Montebello National Park, Chiapas, Mexico. It addresses territoriality, memory, regimes and management, and the integration of cultural knowledge and perspectives, with global relevance for all Indigenous peoples. This is the first published reference to the term “Pyrobiocultural” that the authors of this article (among others) have been developing over recent years.
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Canaima National Park (CNP, Venezuela), located in the core of Guiana Shield and inhabited by the Pemón indigenous people, is an area of great value due to its biological and cultural singularity. High incidence of fires, together with... more
Canaima National Park (CNP, Venezuela), located in the core of Guiana Shield and inhabited by the Pemón indigenous people, is an area of great value due to its biological and cultural singularity. High incidence of fires, together with increased forest vulnerability to fire as a result of global climate and socio-environmental changes, have been considered threats, since they could put at risk, both ecosystems and human well-being. The conflict over fire use is exacerbated by the fact that whereas the Pemón depend for their livelihood on the use of fire, the policy of CNP government agencies has been fire exclusion (although this is not effectively enforced). The aim of this work is to present the experience gained during the development, for almost 20 years, of three participative and trans-disciplinary research-action areas: 1) long-term indigenous, fire-fighters and scientists collaborative fire experiments to study fire behavior and effects on bio-geo-chemical cycles and biodive...
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This paper examines the main role of cultural revitalization by establishing the base for a symmetric dialogue regarding environmental litigious issues. This examination discusses several experiences of participatory investigation carried... more
This paper examines the main role of cultural revitalization by establishing the base for a symmetric dialogue regarding environmental litigious issues. This examination discusses several experiences of participatory investigation carried out in Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela, from 1999 till present. These experiences sought to promote discussions about the use of fire in the indigenous village of Pemón, in order to strengthen the capacity for dialogue and negotiation with other stakeholders about the sustainable management of their territories. The promotion of dialogue included discussions about processes of cultura change and the transformation of identity. These experiences have shown that once traditionally neglected environmental knowledge is accepted –as part of their cultural and political strengthening agenda-, indigenous peoples can feel more confident to participate in dialogues with other stakeholders about complex and multifactor topics, e.g., the use of fire. These processes of group reflection pioneer towards a larger cognitive justice within environment and territory management which, in turn, is part of a greater process of intercultural construction. The right of the indigenous peoples to self-reflection, to think differently, and to have freedom of speech regarding their knowledge is central for the dialogue and equitable intercultural exchange.
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There is growing scientific evidence that fire management, as well as other sustainable Indigenous practices, help mitigate climate change, protect the biological and cultural diversity of ecosystems, and promote resilience. However,... more
There is growing scientific evidence that fire management, as well as other sustainable Indigenous practices, help mitigate climate change, protect the biological and cultural diversity of ecosystems, and promote resilience. However, Indigenous peoples’ participation in policy making and management of their own territories is very limited. This paper presents findings from a fire management workshop where experiences and perspectives were shared among 60 academic, government and Indigenous representatives from 25 organisations from Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. The workshop was divided into different group working sessions that used the soft systems methodology of analysing the current situation with regards to the importance of fire in everyday life and Indigenous culture, b) institutional, scientists and Indigenous perspectives, approaches and concerns about fire management in Indigenous territories, c) new approaches to an intercultural and participative fire governance. In spite...
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Historical information on wildfires and dendrochronological studies offer meaningful clues about fire and climate regimes, factors that affect forest structure and dynamics. This study aimed to determine the effect of fire history on... more
Historical information on wildfires and dendrochronological studies offer meaningful clues about fire and climate regimes, factors that affect forest structure and dynamics. This study aimed to determine the effect of fire history on vegetation dynamics and successional pathways of areas under different fire management policies in the Lagunas de Montebello National Park (LMNP), Chiapas, México. The selected study sites were El Parque area under fire exclusion policies since 1961; Tziscao-inhabited area under fire prohibition since 1984; and Antelá area with a traditional agricultural fire management history. A Pinus oocarpa ring-width chronology was used as a proxy for climate variability to which wildfire occurrence was mapped and to determine the establishment patterns of this dominant species. Current vegetation composition and structure and fuel loads were determined to characterise the study sites. Large wildfires, like those occurring in 1984 and 1998, were associated with periods of high humidity followed by intense droughts; they were linked to strong El Niño events and severely impacted the LMNP. Vegetation dynamics indicated simplification of mesophyll forest (climax) to pine-oaksweetgum forests, with Pinus dominating the overstorey in all sampling sites. Pine, oak and sweetgum species were the dominant juvenile trees in Antelá, El Parque and Tziscao, respectively. Late-successional seedlings (i.e., Prunus) were present in Antelá and El Parque, while were absent from Tziscao where several wildfires had occurred. Fuel accumulation in sites within protected areas subject to fire exclusion policies was very high (40-68 t ha-1); in contrast, it was the lowest in rural Antelá (24 t ha-1). Considering vegetation vulnerability to wildfires associated with extreme humid-dry climate events, increased fire hazard due to fuel accumulation, and the socio-ecological impacts of these events, we recommend revising the fire exclusion policies currently implemented in the LMNP and applying an integrated fire management approach that incorporates local socio-ecological conditions.
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Although there is convincing scientific research for the role of Indigenous fire practices in sustainable land management, Indigenous peoples’ involvement in policy-making is limited. This paper presents findings from a fire management... more
Although there is convincing scientific research for the role of Indigenous fire practices in sustainable land management, Indigenous peoples’ involvement in policy-making is limited. This paper presents findings from a fire management workshop where experiences and perspectives were shared among 60 academic, government, and Indigenous representatives from 27 organizations from Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. The data, in the form of small group discussions, participatory drawings, whole group reflections, and videos, showed that although there was general acceptance about the central role of fire in traditional Indigenous livelihoods and its importance for protecting the biological and cultural diversity of ecosystems, there were also tensions around the past imposition of a dominant fire exclusion discourse of governmental institutions in Indigenous territories. Overcoming the gaps derived from different experiences and historical worldviews, and building mutual trust and respect w...
Research Interests: Indigenous Studies, Intercultural Management, Climate change policy, Political Science, Fire Ecology, and 15 moreForest Ecology And Management, Indigenous Knowledge, Fire, Venezuela, Forest Ecology, Indigenous Peoples, Colonial Brazil, Guyana, Forest fire, InterCultural Studies, Traditional Knowledge, Savanna Ecology, Gobernanza, Interculturalidad, and Gobernanza y participación
Wildfires continue to cause damage to property, livelihoods and environments around the world. Acknowledging that dealing with wildfires has to go beyond fire-fighting, governments in countries with fire-prone ecosystems have begun to... more
Wildfires continue to cause damage to property, livelihoods and environments around the world. Acknowledging that dealing with wildfires has to go beyond fire-fighting, governments in countries with fire-prone ecosystems have begun to recognize the multiple perspectives of landscape burning and the need to engage with local communities and their practices. In this perspective, we outline the experiences of Brazil and Venezuela, two countries where fire management has been highly contested, but where there have been recent advances in fire management approaches. Success of these new initiatives have been measured by the reduction in wildfire extent through prescribed burning, and the opening of a dialogue on fire management between government agencies and local communities. Yet, it is clear that further developments in community participation need to take place in order to avoid the appropriation of local knowledge systems by institutions, and to better reflect more equitable fire go...
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Fire is considered a major threat to forest conservation in the Neotropics. Palaeoecological studies are critical for understanding the long-term interactions of climate, fire, and human activities in the savanna–forest dynamic. Here, new... more
Fire is considered a major threat to forest conservation in the Neotropics. Palaeoecological studies are critical for understanding the long-term interactions of climate, fire, and human activities in the savanna–forest dynamic. Here, new data from palynological analyses conducted in sedimentary records from the northern edge of the Amazon Basin, the Gran Sabana, southeast of Canaima National Park (CNP) are presented. Four radiocarbon ages from Quebrada Kowana (QK) and two for Ariwe Fernland (AF) records showed that both are late-Holocene age (with extrapolated basal ages of 3100 and 3400 cal. yr BP, respectively). Both showed the occurrence of gallery forest until 1800 (QK) and 1600 (AF) cal. yr BP, with forest taxa reaching 60% and 40% of the terrestrial pollen sum, respectively. The main forest taxa were Celastraceae, Moraceae/Urticaceae, Schefflera, Protium, and Mahurea (QK) and Dimorphandra, Protium, Schefflera, Tachigali, and Blepharandra (AF). Savanna herbs (mainly Poaceae) r...
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Este artículo examina el papel central que juega la revitalización cultural, sentando las bases para un diálogo de saberes simétrico respecto a temas ambientales contenciosos. Para ello, se discuten varias experiencias de investigación... more
Este artículo examina el papel central que juega la revitalización cultural, sentando las bases para un diálogo de saberes simétrico respecto a temas ambientales contenciosos. Para ello, se discuten varias experiencias de investigación participativa llevadas a cabo en el Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela, entre 1999 y el presente, para facilitar el diálogo sobre el uso fuego al interior del pueblo indígena Pemón, con miras a fortalecer su capacidad de diálogo y negociación con otros actores sobre el manejo sustentable de sus territorios; esto incluyó discusiones sobre procesos de cambio cultural y de formación de identidad. Estas experiencias han demostrado que una vez que se da reconocimiento público a saberes ambientales que han estado históricamente excluidos, como parte de sus propias agendas de reafirmación política y cultural, los pueblos indígenas se pueden sentir más seguros para entablar diálogos con otros actores sobre temas complejos y multifactoriales, como el uso del f...
Research Interests: Geography, Fire Ecology, Indigenous Knowledge, Cultural Identity, Fire Management, and 13 moreIndigenous Peoples, Intercultural dialogue, Identidad cultural, Cognitive Justice, Cognitive Justice (Shiv Visvanathan), Diálogo De Saberes, Trilogia, Manejo del fuego, justicia cognitiva, knowledge asymmetries, Pemón dialogues of knowledge, Pemón, and asimetrías de conocimientos
Despite the fact that there is much more acceptance today to the use of fire by indigenous people in forests and savannas ecosystems than there was two decades ago, it still remains a highly controversial and questioned local practice, to... more
Despite the fact that there is much more acceptance today to the use of fire by indigenous people in forests and savannas ecosystems than there was two decades ago, it still remains a highly controversial and questioned local practice, to the point that reducing green house emissions from tropical forest and savanna fires is top in the Global Change agenda. The fire issue is dominated by conflicting values, interests and world views that make reaching agreements for its sustainable use no easy task. According to the reflexive governance theory, advancing in this direction would entail developing a more plural approach to fire management, by creating opportunities for context specific public deliberations about different views of fire and its impacts, along with changing deeply entrenched institutional practices that exclude local knowledge systems. But, are we clear about the challenges that this posses in practice, particularly in the context of strong cultural change at the commun...
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Re-significando el fuego: gobernabilidad reflexiva y transformación de conflictos en territorios indígenas culturalmente frágiles A pesar de que hoy día existe una mayor aceptación del uso del fuego en ecosistemas de bosques y sabanas por... more
Re-significando el fuego: gobernabilidad reflexiva y transformación de conflictos en territorios indígenas culturalmente frágiles A pesar de que hoy día existe una mayor aceptación del uso del fuego en ecosistemas de bosques y sabanas por parte de pueblos indígena que la que había hace dos décadas, esta sigue siendo una práctica local altamente controversial y cuestionada, al punto de que la reducción de las emisiones del efecto invernadero proveniente de las quemas en bosques y sabanas es un tema central de la agenda del Cambio Global. El tema del uso del fuego está dominado por valores, intereses y puntos de vista conflictivos que no facilitan para nada la tarea de lograr acuerdos sobre su uso sustentable. De acuerdo con la teoría de la gobernabilidad reflexiva, para avanzar en esta dirección se hace necesario desarrollar enfoques más plurales respecto al manejo del fuego mediante la creación de oportunidades de deliberaciones públicas sobre el fuego y su impacto, conjuntamente co...
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ABSTRACT The concept of reflexive governance has to a large extent emerged from an increasing recognition of the need to consider different meanings of nature in the environmental policy-making process. Yet, so far, little attention has... more
ABSTRACT The concept of reflexive governance has to a large extent emerged from an increasing recognition of the need to consider different meanings of nature in the environmental policy-making process. Yet, so far, little attention has been paid to creating conditions for reflexive governance among different actors in intercultural settings, particularly in the context of environmental conflict and strong cultural change among indigenous peoples. This paper reviews three participatory research projects carried out in the Gran Sabana in Canaima National Park, Venezuela, which facilitated dialogue among indigenous people regarding their conflicting views of fire, in part by developing community-wide critical reflections on processes of cultural change and identity formations. These experiences suggest that once marginalized environmental knowledge is publicly acknowledged within the context of endogenous cultural processes, indigenous people feel more confident to engage in dialogue with other actors, thus allowing the emergence of reflexive environmental governance.
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This report (available in English, Spanish and Portuguese) provides information of the activities that have been carried out during the first meeting of the “Participatory and Intercultural Fire Management Network” with regards to... more
This report (available in English, Spanish and Portuguese) provides information of the activities that have been carried out during the first meeting of the “Participatory and Intercultural Fire Management Network” with regards to Indigenous fire management with researchers, government authorities and Indigenous representatives (60 participants in total) currently working on Indigenous fire management in Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana and the UK – this workshop took place over four days in July 2015 at the Parupa Scientific Station, Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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"La reunión de la Red Intercultural y Participativa del Manejo del Fuego celebrada en la Estación" "Científica Parupa, CVG (Corporación Venezolana de Guayana), Gran Sabana, Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela, es la primera reunión del... more
"La reunión de la Red Intercultural y Participativa del Manejo del Fuego celebrada en la Estación"
"Científica Parupa, CVG (Corporación Venezolana de Guayana), Gran Sabana, Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela, es la primera reunión del proyecto financiado por la Academia Británica (British Academy), organización de Investigación del Reino Unido, con el objetivo de:"
"“desarrollar un ‘caso’ para integrar las prácticas indígenas del fuego dentro de las políticas gubernamentales sobre el manejo del fuego”"
"El proyecto surge a partir de la colaboración entre la Dra. Jay Mistry de la Universidad Royal Holloway de Londres, Reino Unido y de la Dra. Bibiana Bilbao de la Universidad Simón Bolívar, Venezuela, quienes tienen una gran experiencia al trabajar con comunidades indígenas en Brasil, Región Esequiba y Venezuela, particularmente en el tema sobre el manejo del fuego."
"Con el fin de lograr los objetivos del proyecto, desde enero de 2015 hasta diciembre de 2017, y enfocándose en Venezuela, Brasil y Región Esequiba, el proyecto tiene planteadas las siguientes actividades:"
" Organizar talleres para compartir lecciones y perspectivas;"
" Recopilar información y revisión de literatura;"
" Facilitar la realización de pequeños videos participativos indígenas sobre el manejo del fuego;"
" Utilización de técnicas de teledetección con sensores remotos para evaluar el grado e impacto del fuego, y;"
" Emprender una serie de talleres y entrevistas con los tomadores de decisiones."
"Los objetivos de la primera reunión fueron:"
" Compartir las experiencias y lecciones aprendidas sobre las necesidades y restricciones que existen en el manejo del fuego por las comunidades indígenas."
" Desarrollar un discurso compartido sobre como el manejo del fuego de las comunidades indígenas puede ser apoyado y fortalecido."
" Desarrollar un plan de acción para llevar a cabo."
"Científica Parupa, CVG (Corporación Venezolana de Guayana), Gran Sabana, Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela, es la primera reunión del proyecto financiado por la Academia Británica (British Academy), organización de Investigación del Reino Unido, con el objetivo de:"
"“desarrollar un ‘caso’ para integrar las prácticas indígenas del fuego dentro de las políticas gubernamentales sobre el manejo del fuego”"
"El proyecto surge a partir de la colaboración entre la Dra. Jay Mistry de la Universidad Royal Holloway de Londres, Reino Unido y de la Dra. Bibiana Bilbao de la Universidad Simón Bolívar, Venezuela, quienes tienen una gran experiencia al trabajar con comunidades indígenas en Brasil, Región Esequiba y Venezuela, particularmente en el tema sobre el manejo del fuego."
"Con el fin de lograr los objetivos del proyecto, desde enero de 2015 hasta diciembre de 2017, y enfocándose en Venezuela, Brasil y Región Esequiba, el proyecto tiene planteadas las siguientes actividades:"
" Organizar talleres para compartir lecciones y perspectivas;"
" Recopilar información y revisión de literatura;"
" Facilitar la realización de pequeños videos participativos indígenas sobre el manejo del fuego;"
" Utilización de técnicas de teledetección con sensores remotos para evaluar el grado e impacto del fuego, y;"
" Emprender una serie de talleres y entrevistas con los tomadores de decisiones."
"Los objetivos de la primera reunión fueron:"
" Compartir las experiencias y lecciones aprendidas sobre las necesidades y restricciones que existen en el manejo del fuego por las comunidades indígenas."
" Desarrollar un discurso compartido sobre como el manejo del fuego de las comunidades indígenas puede ser apoyado y fortalecido."
" Desarrollar un plan de acción para llevar a cabo."