Amapa Sustainable Communities

closed

The Amapa Sustainable Communities Project aims to learn from Amazon-specific approaches, to reduce urban and rural poverty, through measures that are environmentally sustainable, economically efficient, and socially equitable. Overall project impact will be gauged by the extent to which useful lessons, both positive and negative, have been generated, and succeeded in improving the livelihood of urban and rural poor in Amapa. The project components include: 1) Urban community development sub-projects focusing on the poorest neighborhoods in the cities of Macapa, Santana, and Laranjal do Jari through the preparation, and implementation of community development plans. Sub-projects will address problems related to: low levels of community organization, lack of skills and educational opportunities, the absence of community planning, occupation of environmentally sensitive lands, poor sanitary conditions, and inadequate access to infrastructure and services. 2) Institutional strengthening for poverty reduction, will build the capacity of the state to address key issues of poverty, and development by supporting a specific reform of the state micro-credit provider, and a general reform of the state administrative apparatus in project-related areas. This will include support to the preparation of business plans, capacity building, and rural finance. 3) Rural community development sub-projects would build capacity in the rural areas, and provide grants for sub-projects that will be identified, developed, and managed by community, and producer associations. Two types of sub-projects will be financed: environmental and social infrastructure, and, support for environmentally-sustainable productive investments. 4) Capacity building for participatory management and technical assistance (TA) will reinforce the operational capacity of the Development Agency of Amapa State - ADAP - to coordinate project implementation; develop a project management information system; maintain a monitoring and evaluation system for the project, including close collaboration with the state Environment Secretariat (SEMA), and the national environmental protection agency (IBAMA); and, undertake information and promotional campaigns for public awareness.