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Varzea - Brazil’s Amazon floodplain

The fertile soils and abundant fish of the Várzea (‘floodplain’) have sustained local people for generations, and are vital to the economy of the Amazon region. But in the last 50 years the natural systems of the Várzea have experienced huge changes, and this vital region faces an uncertain future.

A fisherman casts his fishing net in the shallow lakes of the varzea

Why we’re involved

Every year the Amazon river rises more than 9m and floods surrounding forests. The rising waters enrich the soils with nutrients and regenerate lakes, floating meadow, and other seasonal habitats. Freshwater fish move into these flooded forests, often feeding on the fruits that drop from the trees.

Local communities, including some of the poorest people on Earth, depend on the natural riches of the Várzea. But the lower Amazon floodplains are under increasing pressure.

Cattle ranching is expanding. Local farmers find it hard to make a living. Commercial fishing has intensified. Local people increasingly rely on fishing to survive - but they’re suffering the consequences of overfishing and loss of fish habitats.

Fishing

How we’re helping

We’re supporting floodplain communities to manage their natural resources - including fisheries, grasslands and forests - in a shared, sustainable way. And we’re working with local, state and national government to develop policies and systems to enable this.

One community management initiaitve we’re involved in is the Várzea Project, a partnership between local communities, grassroots organisations and government authorities. As well as promoting shared use of natural resources, it involves research, education, training and policy work.

Set up in 1994, the Várzea Project is helping to build a model for sustainable management that could apply throughout the region and to other Amazon floodplain areas. It looks at the best ways for communities to use their land, fisheries and wildlife, and how these practices and policies can be rolled out on a larger scale.

Some communities have seen fish numbers increase by 50% in the last three years. Regular meetings between communities also means conflict has been reduced. Find out more about the Varzea project.