Making a living with the Amazon

Tourism and conservation can go hand in hand. When ecotourism is done right, it helps to protect habitats and the species that live there, while providing sustainable livelihood options and helping people to engage with nature in a respectful way. WWF is working with partners and communities to support ecotourism across the Amazon rainforest, helping people and nature to thrive.

In Colombia, Laguna del Nare is a benchmark for nature tourism that has allowed local communities to strengthen their ties to the land. Jaguars roam the forests surrounding the lagoon where freshwater dolphins, also known as toninas, have become a symbol of hope and development. Jeinny Ferrucho has lived there since she was a child.

Originally from El Retorno, Guaviare, Jeinny and her family were displaced by violence during her childhood. After searching, they found a peaceful place to live in Laguna del Nare. Though her parents and many in their generation focussed on agriculture and coca cultivation, the community has undergone a radical transformation, thanks to projects focused on conservation and sustainable tourism. One of the most significant advances in tourism has been the acquisition of boats with electric motors, which allow for more ecosystem-friendly tours, reducing pollution from fossil fuels and noisy engines that affects local wildlife. Camera trap monitoring in the region has also confirmed the presence of jaguars, helping community members to demonstrate the beauty and importance of the area. 

In May of 2025, Oscar Quispe, WWF-Peru Amazon Project Assistant travelled with a team of fellow experts to survey the river dolphins of Pacaya Samira National Reserve in the northern Peruvian Amazon. The river dolphins were counted here for the first time, while threats and progress of conservation efforts were assessed. The team, made up of WWF staff, community members and community tourism guides, recorded 114 river dolphins over 164km. So, it’s no surprise that this area is a tourism hotspot, people travelling to the reserve to see these iconic freshwater mammals. The information from this survey will help to inform sustainable tourism and conservation management plans and recommendations, to ensure people and dolphins can thrive.

Growing up in Vista Alegre do Capixauã, a village that can only be accessed by the waters of the Tapajós River of Brazil, the now-chief Irenilse Batista Sousa knew her family and wider community were Indigenous, but they had long lost their language and were far removed from their traditional ways. It took three years of speaking with other Kumaruara people and tracing their families’ past to confirm what they already knew: They were Kumaruara.

From there, they set out to reclaim what they had lost so they could pass it on to future generations, protecting it from disappearing again. During that process, they songs, dances, and body painting to making traditional jewellery, bowls, and musical instruments. They started welcoming tourists into their community, partnering with guides from the nearby town of Alter do Chão. The initiative gave the community the opportunity to diversify their income in a forest-friendly way, and provides an economic lifeline for young people who used to see few reasons to stay.

With the support of WWF and Projeto Saúde e Alegria, the Kumaruara community has been able to build lodging for guests to stay overnight. They also now have treated water, a professional kitchen to serve a traditional lunch with ingredients that come from their own gardens and river, and reliable internet, which allows them to more easily receive payments.