Management of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Resources in the Rio Iratapuru Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS)

In the mid-2000s, the Rio Iratapuru Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), a protected area combining Amazon forest conservation and sustainable use by traditional communities, hosted the first recognized bioprospecting initiative in Amapá. The São Francisco do Iratapuru community, represented by the COMARU cooperative, signed Brazil’s first Benefit-Sharing Agreement (ABS) with Natura and the State Government (via SEMA/AP), involving the use of breu-branco (Protium pallidum), which led to the launch of the “Perfume do Breu” in 2004. A fund was then created to manage the benefit-sharing resources, initially administered by Natura. The community accessed these funds through projects, but with limited autonomy. With Federal Law 13.123/2015, management shifted in 2018 to COMARU itself, supported by a participatory Steering Committee. Funded projects have since included community infrastructure improvements, strengthening of value chains, and local training, fostering transparency, social protagonism, and positive impacts in RDS.

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Creating Lands of Opportunity: Sustainable Agriculture and Land Restoration in Burkina Faso

This project empowered communities in Burkina Faso’s Centre-East and Centre-South regions to transition toward sustainable agriculture and landscape restoration. With support from the IKEA Foundation, UNCCD Global Mechanism, and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, the project reached 300,000 people (50% women, 50% youth). It increased agro-sylvo-pastoral production, restored over 54,000 ha, and strengthened local associations and governance. Through inclusive participation, communities adopted legal texts protecting 37,500 ha of ecological corridors. The intervention improved food security, incomes, biodiversity, and local decision-making capacity while aligning with Nature-based Solutions standards. Its successful co-production approach and restoration-business linkage offer high potential for replication across the Sahel.

Strengthening Conservation Education and School Support in Bikita District, Zimbabwe

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