THE KAYAPÓ PROJECT; AMAZON ADVENTURES EMPOWERING LARGE-SCALE CONSERVATION
building capacity for managing natural resources sustainably and developing sustainable income generation
ATCF Contribution: $2o,000
Grant Awarded: 2019
Location: tucuma, state of para, brazil
IMPACT: developing conservation-based tourism micro-enterprises that incentivize and support Xingu Kayapó communities’ efforts to defend their territory and culture from invasion.
The 10.5 million hectare block of officially ratified Kayapo indigenous territory has proven a formidable barrier to forest destruction in the southeastern Amazon thanks to de facto protection services of the ~10,000 Kayapo indigenous inhabitants, who have defended their lands for generations. The Kapayo Project will diversify and enhance the portfolio of Kayapo Indigenous-led sustainable enterprises, helping build capacity and resources for the Kayapo to continue to protect their 100,000 km 2 (10 million hectares) ratified Kayapo Indigenous Territory in Brazil’s highly threatened southeastern Amazon forest. Working with six Kayapo communities in the pristine Xingu River Wilderness Area, this project will expand successful local sport- fishing tourism to include birding, nature, adventure and eco-tourism micro-enterprises while supporting local territory surveillance and deterring illegal resource extraction.
The ATCF and its members have awarded The International Conservation Fund of Canada $20,000 to support in the preservation of historical sites and indigenous tourism initiatives in Brazil.
the issue
While Indigenous territories are protected under the constitution of Brazil, Kayapo lands, located in the Amazon’s highest-deforestation region, are under siege from agriculture frontiers. With a new government hostile to indigenous rights and intensifying pressure driven by global demand for beef, soy, gold and timber, the Kayapó continue to depend on philanthropy to build capacity for managing natural resources sustainably, and therefore developing sustainable income generation to support territorial monitoring and control is increasingly important.
the goal
This project links tourism directly with rainforest conservation by generating a sustainable source of income and other benefits for the indigenous communities that are protecting the forest. The project builds on a successful sport fishing tourism model with the Kayapo to help diversify and expand sources of sustainable income and resource management capacity. In addition, this project reinforces traditional culture and the transfer of indigenous knowledge from elder to youth as tourists, whom directly benefit communities, place high value on traditional indigenous knowledge and culture.
Impacts
Community-driven management and governance best practices established ensuring tourism benefits are distributed equitably, and conflict resolution is structured fairly.
Comprehensive tourism diversification strategy in place for wildlife, birding and photography trips.
Tourism diversification infrastructure including new base camp/lodge facilities, 20+km of walking trails on both sides of the Xingu river, and 5 blinds for diverse birding, wildlife viewing and photography in forest, canopy, watering hole, cerrado (savannah) and river ecosystems.
Border surveillance resources: satellite based in reach devices and ArcGIS software to increase operating efficiency of the Xingu guard posts and PFA territorial monitoring capacity
PROJECT UPDATES
Coming soon…
More about the International Conservation Fund of Canada
Through 60 unique projects in 27 countries, The International Conservation Fund of Canada’s mission is to advance the long-term preservation of nature and biodiversity in the tropics and other priority areas worldwide. The ICFC’s Kayapo Project has the ultimate goal of empowering the Kayapó indigenous people to continue to protect and sustainably manage their officially ratified 10.5 million territory located in the highly threatened southeastern Amazon of Brazil.
“The ICFC, the Kayapo Project and the Xingu communities are thrilled to be receiving this year’s ATCF grant. These funds will be invaluable in expanding, enhancing and diversifying local tourism offerings and supporting the surveillance and protection of Kayapo territory. With The ATCF grant moving this project forward we are excited for more people to be able to experience the amazing Kayapo culture and Amazon rainforests and for tourism to provide add a new source of conservation funding and sustainable development for the Kayapo people of the Xingu River.” - ICFC Kayapo Project Officer.