RF Flood Plain (Varzea) Management Project

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The objective of the Brazil Floodplain Natural Resources Management Project is to lay the scientific, technical and policy foundations for environmentally and socially sustainable management and conservation of natural resources within the varzeas of the central Amazon River basin, with a special emphasis on the fisheries. The first component is for strategic studies. Under this first component a series of strategic studies will be carried out on the status and trends for critical natural resources of the varzea, including community resource management models; migration patterns and harvest levels of large catfish species; expansion of agriculture and agribusiness in the varzea; land tenure issues; logging practices and impacts; conservation and protected areas; biodiversity status and trends in the varzea. The second component is a series of medium-sized natural resource use and conservation promising initiatives will be selected as possible management models for natural resources in the varzea, including projects which model sustainable forest management, eco-tourism, improved fishing practices, fish and turtle farming, environmental education on Indian reserves and others. The third component consists of monitoring and patrol where a control and enforcement program will be established. Finally, the last component is for project coordination and dissemination of results. Under this component a Project Coordination Unit (PCU) composed of a four-person team (an "executive" technical coordinator and two technical coordinators to cover Components 2 and 3, in addition to a Financial/Administrative Officer) will be established to manage, monitor and evaluate the day-to-day implementation of the project.