Amazonia 2.0, the closing of a chapter

Photo: ©Proyecto A2.0 / UICN América del Sur

The story

Amazonia 2.0 was implemented since 2017, in 6 countries of the Amazon basin: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. It was funded by the European Union, coordinated by IUCN South America and implemented by a consortium of organizations: IUCN Brazil, Fundación Natura, Fundación EcoCiencia, Amerindian Peoples Association, ECO REDD and The Amazon Conservation Team Suriname.

Photo: ©Fundación Natura/Proyecto A2.0

The project aimed at strengthening forest governance models in indigenous, campesino and maroon territories in the Amazon biome, with the objective of strengthening local capacities for good territorial and forest management, through the consolidation of a model of community monitoring developed in South America.

This initiative, which proposed a "bottom-up" intervention model, was based on community monitoring as a tool that generated organizational empowerment, articulation and local and national advocacy. Among the most important results of Amazonia 2.0, we have its regional platform, with social and technological components, highlighting the GeoVisor, with geo-referenced information obtained from field monitoring.

The advances and contributions of A2.0 are evident in the strengthening of local capacities and the enabling conditions for good governance not only for forest management but also for territorial management with emphasis on monitoring and conservation with cultural respect. As a result, indigenous, campesino and maroon communities and the organizations that represent them, are technically empowered through their monitoring units, which is allowing them to improve the quality of their proposals, political and commercial negotiations, in a proactive manner.

These advances in the territory have allowed scaling up to different levels, such as public institutions that consider the A2.0 experience as a reference to improve their management tools and strategies, with the will to scale up to public policies by massifying their impact. All these experiences are recorded in the Systematization of Lessons Learned from Amazonia 2.0, another important legacy of the project.

The closing

The last Steering Committee, attended by representatives of all partners, the regional team and executives of IUCN's regional office for South America, was part of the project's closing ceremony.

Photo: ©UICN América del Sur

Subsequently, the main event was held, which brought together donors, authorities and civil society, including organizations such as SDC, DAR, FAO, Global Green Growth Institute, IFAD, UNDP, TNC, WCS, WWF, SERNANP, PROFONANPE, among others.

Gabriel Quijandría, Director of the IUCN Regional Office for South America, as the project's coordinating organization, opened the ceremony with a speech. Followed by the intervention of Robert Steinlechner, Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Peru, the financing entity of Amazonia 2.0.

Photo: ©UICN América del Sur

Afterwards, Braulio Buendía, A2.0's Regional Coordinator, gave a presentation that reviewed the project's experience, emphasizing its achievements and challenges. Among the results shared, the following were highlighted:

• The regional platform, with the free access GeoVisor built with data from the territory.
• The formation and empowerment of environmental monitors, rangers or promoters. In total: 47 territorial units monitored, through 31 monitoring units and 57 rangers or monitors.
• Management tools, publications for monitoring, road to good governance. Highlighting 5 relevant regional publications.
• Institutionalization of monitoring units, articulation and advocacy in regional and international spaces, basis for scaling up.
• Implementation of the regional communication strategy, with an innovative set of products and processes based on a regional network of communicators.

This presentation gave way to the pre-premiere of the documentary "Amazonia 2.0", a compilation of testimonies of the protagonists of the project at local and national level, which recognizes the human side of Amazonia 2.0 as one of its greatest strengths, which guarantees the continuity of what has been learned after 6 years of implementation.

Based on the audiovisual experience, a rich discussion was generated among the representatives of the consortium: Javier Vargas ( Fundación EcoCiencia, Ecuador), Lorena Franco (Fundación Natura, Colombia), Minu Parahoe (ACT, Suriname), Graham Atkinson (APA, Guyana) and Pedro Carrillo (ECO REDD, Peru); and indigenous leaders including Cleofas Quintori (URPIA), Teresita Landazu (AIDESEP), Julio Cusuruchi (AIDESEP) and Kanida Ríos (CORPIAA). They discussed the main legacies of the project, the commitments for its sustainability and the challenges that remain for the Amazonian communities.

It is worth mentioning that the indigenous leaders who participated in the project and the closing event, left a clear message of recognition to the initiative, but at the same time they urged to continue committing efforts and resources to expand the coverage in time and space, investing in the sustainability of what has been achieved. Part of the great challenges to be addressed and to continue adding are related to the sustainability of the results, the scaling up of the experience and the institutionalization of the contributions to public processes.

Photo: ©UICN América del Sur

To close the event, Tatiana García, Head of Environment and Climate Change of the European Union in Peru, shared her heartfelt words about her close experience with the project during its years of implementation. Alvaro Anicama, Senior Management Advisor of OSINFOR, also participated to provide the perspective from the Peruvian national forestry authorities. Finally, Consuelo Espinoza, Regional Program Coordinator of IUCN South America, spoke about the project.

A toast brought the evening to a close, allowing time to socialize and enjoy the photo gallery on display in the facilities. Amidst memories and laughter, the Amazonia 2.0 family hugged each other goodbye, recognizing the foundations laid by the project and the even stronger commitment to continue working on forest conservation from the good governance of indigenous, campesino and maroon territories.

Through new projects, programs and actions, the partners, allies and cooperators of Amazonia 2.0 are already taking new steps that give continuity to the work of this great project, keeping good governance at the center of the conservation of the Amazon forests.

Photo: ©UICN América del Sur

"A story of more than 6 years left behind trained monitors, empowered communities, tools, publications, communication products and much more; but its greatest legacy is a strengthened network of actors, whose commitment will continue beyond", Braulio Buendía, A2.0's Regional Coordinator.

Amazonia 2.0, forever connected for our forests.