Amazon Region

The interconnectivity among the aquatic ecosystems of Ecuadorian Amazon makes them highly sensitive to broad range of anthropogenic activities like oil pollution. Ecuadorian Amazon biodiversity is in great threats because of the large scale oil pollution by the Chevron-Texaco which systematically dumped 18.5 billion gallons of highly carcinogenic toxic waste into unlined pits, swamps, streams, and rivers into the rainforest from 1964 to 1992. Vast number of ecologically important animals and plants populations is in great threats after this massive oil pollution. The spread of oil and its biological effects is documented immediately. Forest plants, river grasses, algae, and associated invertebrates were badly covered by oil and soon after they are died regularly. The death of Dolphins ,Otter dna several species of birds has been reported because of oil pollution. The secondary effects of oil pollution are always much greater than the primary effects. So, proper initiatives should be taken in the long run to protect the biological communities of Amazon.

The low governance and the history of migration cycles followed by disorderly land occupation lead us to believe that the reconstruction of the BR-319 (Manaus-AM/Porto Velho-RO), provided by the Brazilian Program to Accelerate the Development (PAC), could trigger a new human migratory cycle leading to increase to GHG emissions in the state of Roraima. Additionally, the relative isolation of Roraima from other regions of Brazil and the low population density has provoked a repressed demand for deforestation in the two main phytophysionomic groups of the State (Ecotone and Ombrophilous). The aim of this study was to delineate two future scenarios of deforestation and calculate the GHG emissions in Roraima (2011 - 2050) using a land use model to estimate the impact of the reconstruction of the BR-319 in the GHG emissions (Business As Usual scenario - MT-BAU) compared with the other scenario using the premise of the effectuation of commitment made by the Brazil at the Conference of the Parties (COP) 15 (scenario Governance MT-GOV). The main forest groups will be considered in the analysis. The impact of the reconstruction of the BR-319 was estimated at 114.4 x 106 Mg of GHG emissions up to 2050. The forest groups positively affect GHG emissions in Roraima, indicating that distinctions should be considered in future estimates of GHG emissions in the Amazon where are observed different regional configurations. Public authorities should draw up measures to prevent high deforestation rates and GHG emissions in Roraima, if the deployment plan of the BR-319 be finalized.

The certification of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) was introduced in the early 2000s as a means of promoting sustainable community forestry and smallholders’ access to profitable niche markets. Several studies have been carried out to analyze the success of smallholder certification, with a focus on its feasibility, compliance with sustainability standards and livelihoods effects. Much less attention has been given to certification as a process that promotes the empowerment and inclusion of small producers in natural resource management. Based on a study of three Amazon nut (Bertholletia excelsa) certifications (Forest Stewardship Council, organic and Fairtrade) carried out in Madre de Dios, Peru, in 2008 and 2010 this paper aims to fill part of the gap by assessing five empowerment outcomes of Amazon nut certification schemes nearly a decade after their introduction. The findings show that certification enhances producers’ political empowerment (having a voice based on representation and social organization and increased self-confidence in one’s ability to effect change) by increasing their organizational capacity and managerial know-how. However, limited demand, monetary benefits and economic viability are major constraints on their economic empowerment (increased assets and capabilities that enable them to benefit from new opportunities and freedom to make economic decisions). The authors argue that only stronger social organization will enable certification to break the hierarchical economic structures that disadvantage producers and prevent their replacement with new dependencies on donor and NGO support.

Ichthyological collections are an information center for biological materials that put together assemblages of f ishes collected and studied for scientif ic research, being essential for the knowledge of species biodiversity in certain regions. The present study analyzed the current state of knowledge about the f ish fauna found through research, f ieldwork, and collection records in the interfluvial region of Southwestern Amazonas. The collected f ishes are stored at the Laboratório de Ictiologia e Ordenamento Pesqueiro do Vale do Rio Madeira-LIOP, all of those f rom f reshwater. The collection covers 1,662 specimens, with 42 families identif ied, distributed in 11 orders, the most representative taxonomic groups belonging to Characiformes, Siluriformes and Cichliformes. The ichthyological collection of the LIOP is an important information source to the studies of several f ish species, which are poorly studied.

The people of Amazonia bear the local environmentalimpacts of producing energy for
exports,  but  are  not  themselves  energy  secure.  Paradoxically,  although  Amazonia’s
rural  populations  are  not  energy  secure, the region itself  is  increasingly  important to
South  America's  energy  security.  Oil  and  gas  reserves  are  abundant,  hydropower
potential  is  vast  and  built  infrastructure  to  harness  its  potential  is  being  developed
rapidly. This study presents a preliminary energy balance for the Amazonian region of
five  of  the  countries  that  belong  to  the  Amazon  Cooperation  Treaty  Organization
(ACTO):  Bolivia,  Brazil  Colombia,  Ecuador  and  Peru. Despite  the  poor  availability  of
data,  a  quantitative  analysis  of  energy  was  performed  for  the  Amazon  region  of  each
country  following  the  established  methodology  of  OLADE,  “Manual  de  Estadísticas
Energéticas”.  Primary  and  secondary  energy  production,  energy  consumption  and
import/export of energy carriers are presented for  the Amazon region of each selected
country.  Additional  charts  depicted  proven  energy  endowments  reserves,  technical
hydropower potential and installed electric power generation capacity. Once the most
used  energy  carriers  within  Amazonia  were  identified,  the  threats  and  impacts  to
energy  security  inside  and  outside  the  Amazon  region  are  presented.  This  discussion
raises  the  need  for  developing  policies  focused  on  energy  security  for  these  regions,
while balancing ecological, economic and social impacts.

The Tapajós National Forest (FLONA Tapajós) has 600,000 hectares of protected forest, and is situated 50 km south of the city of Santarém, Pará, Brazil, a port city of 250,000
inhabitants that is located at the confluence of the Tapajós and Amazon Rivers. There is a lot of farmland in the region, which offers many opportunities to study changes in land use.
Selective wood harvesting is one type of land use that is particularly important to the economy of Santarém. Wet and dry deposition of organic material can be an important source
of nutrients for plants, and this is especially true when the soil is poor, which is the case in Santarém-Belterra plateau region, the study area of this research.

The western Amazon continues to be an active and controversial zone of hydrocarbon exploration and production. We argue for the urgent need to implement best practices to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts associated with the sector. Here, we present a three-part study aimed at resolving the major obstacles impeding the advancement of best practice in the region. Our focus is on Loreto, Peru, one of the largest and most dynamic hydrocarbon zones in the Amazon. First, we develop a set of specific best practice guidelines to address the lack of clarity surrounding the issue. These guidelines incorporate both engineering-based criteria and key ecological and social factors. Second, we provide a detailed analysis of existing and planned hydrocarbon activities and infrastructure, overcoming the lack of information that typically hampers large-scale impact analysis. Third, we evaluate the planned activities and infrastructure with respect to the best practice guidelines. We show that Loreto is an extremely active hydrocarbon front, highlighted by a number of recent oil and gas discoveries and a sustained government push for increased exploration. Our analyses reveal that the use of technical best practice could minimize future impacts by greatly reducing the amount of required infrastructure such as drilling platforms and access roads. We also document a critical need to consider more fully the ecological and social factors, as the vast majority of planned infrastructure overlaps sensitive areas such as protected areas, indigenous territories, and key ecosystems and watersheds. Lastly, our cost analysis indicates that following best practice does not impose substantially greater costs than conventional practice, and may in fact reduce overall costs. Barriers to the widespread implementation of best practice in the Amazon clearly exist, but our findings show that there can be great benefits to its implementation. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. E-Tech International is a nonprofit organization, E-Tech International analyzes the potential environmental and social impacts of large development projects in less industrialized countries. E-Tech has no commercial interest in any of the best practices technologies discussed in this paper. Thus, the authors declared no competing interests because they did not feel that his affiliation might be perceived as interfering with the full and objective presentation of the research.