Piagaçu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve

The Purus River is a tributary of the Amazon River in western Brazil. Although the Purus River is close to the city of Manaus, it is still surrounded by vast swaths of intact tropical forests, including over 21,000 km² of seasonally flooded forest known as várzea.  The diverse ecosystems in the Purus landscape provide habitats for a tremendous diversity of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles. Because of the Purus River’s proximity to Manaus, the landscape’s wildlife and forests face increasing pressure from commercial fishing, hunting and logging interests.  

With support from WCS, in 2001 scientists and technicians conducted an expedition to the lower Purus River, to obtain preliminary information on the socio-economic profile of the local populations and the biodiversity present in the area. As a result of the expedition and the report it produced, the state of Amazonas created the Piagaçu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR) in 2003. The Piagaçu-Purus SDR follows the world-renowned SDR model pioneered by WCS to protect other flooded forests in the Brazilian Amazon in the 1990s.  WCS is providing technical and financial resources to the Piagaçu-Purus SDR to ensure its long-term success as a haven for wildlife and a source of valuable natural resources for local communities.

The Human Aspect

The Piagaçu-Purus SDR has great potential to improve the quality of life of the local people.  The human population inside the reserve is estimated to range between 5,000 and 6,000 inhabitants, who survive by means of agriculture and sustenance hunting as well as the exploitation of fish, Brazil nuts, timber and non-timber products. If properly managed, the reserve will improve the quality of life for its residents by establishing sustainable levels of resource use. With the support of WCS and local partners, local communities inside the reserve are developing a management plan to protect wildlife, establish hunting, fishing and timber quotas, and improve health care and education. 

Threats

The Purus River’s large fish populations and numerous caiman and turtle-hatching sites attract outsiders who seek to illegally exploit these natural resources. The Purus region is known for the illegal hunting of crocodilian meat and is the main supplier to fish markets in Manaus. Turtle-egg hunting and commercial fishing boats have already caused serious social conflicts between residents, non-residents, environmental agencies and politicians.  Continuing fishing and hunting activities may jeopardize the stocks of several species of fish, manatees and turtles. Widespread exploitation of timber and non-timber products is another significant threat. Finally, the Manaus-Porto Velho highway will make it easier for outsiders to illegally access the Piagaçu-Purus SDR.

WCS Activities

WCS is working with Instituto Piagaçu in the elaboration of the management plan for Piagaçu-Purus SDR. Ongoing investigations include an assessment of the status and distribution of commercially valuable wildlife species in the Purus landscape. We are also conducting studies to measure the resource use and needs of the reserve’s communities. A goal of the management plan is to stimulate improvement of the quality of life for the reserve’s communities through rational use of resources.  The community-managed Mamirauá SDR, developed by WCS and local partners over the last two decades, serves as a model for local management of the Purus landscape.

Important Next Steps

• Identify the stakeholders associated with the exploitation of natural resources, and identify the level of these activities.
• Increase our knowledge of the ecological landscape through fish surveys, censuses of mammals and reptiles, and mapping of rivers.
• Define the zoning plan for the reserve, specifying fully protected areas as well as areas where sustainable use of natural resources is permitted.
• Determine the impact and location of commercial fisheries.
• Map nesting areas of crocodilians and assess the hunting pressure on them.
• Work towards a sustainable and integrated landscape by documenting local agricultural practices, threats and annual losses (due to diseases, pests and flooding), and identifying alternatives to reduce such agricultural losses.
• Survey the main timber exploitation areas and create a register of timber companies working in the area.
• Promote capacity building and interchange among Amazonian sites through the Amazon-Andes Conservation Program.