REFLORA Project was launched in 2024 to restore degraded areas in the Puranga Conquista Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), located in the Lower Rio Negro region of Manaus. The initiative directly benefits indigenous and riverside communities through biodiversity conservation and income generation.

Aiming to recover 200 hectares of degraded areas, REFLORA uses native Amazonian species, agroforestry systems (a mix of trees with crops such as fruits and vegetables) and the regeneration of secondary forests. Through environmental restoration, the project seeks to strengthen the economy of the 18 RDS communities, focusing on seed collection, seedling production and connection with forest product markets.

Among the benefits, the project improves food security in these communities and helps increase family income, since 50% of the population of the Conservation Unit lives on less than a minimum wage. REFLORA also mitigates the effects of climate change, contributing to sustainable development in the Amazon.

REFLORA relies on the support of partners such as the Amazonas State Department of the Environment (SEMA), the Association of Traditional Peoples and Communities of the Puranga Conquista Reserve (Associação de Povos e Comunidades Tradicionais da RDS Puranga Conquista – APCT), and Natura with research and training. The active participation of communities in monitoring restored areas ensures that these ecological practices are long-lasting, bringing positive results for the future.

The project is part of the Floresta Viva Amazonas initiative, by Funbio – Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity, and promotes the integration of biodiversity conservation with the social and economic development of local communities.

REFLORA Project was started in 2024 to restore degraded areas in the Puranga Conquista Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR), located in the Lower Rio Negro region of Manaus. The initiative directly benefits indigenous and riverside communities through biodiversity conservation and income generation.

With the goal of recovering 200 hectares of degraded areas, REFLORA uses species native to the Amazon, agroforestry systems (a mixture of trees and crops such as fruit and vegetables) and the regeneration of secondary forests. Through environmental restoration, the project aims to strengthen the economy of the 18 communities in the RDS, focusing on seed collection, seedling production and connections with forest product markets.

Among the benefits, the project improves the food security of these communities and helps increase family income, since 50% of the population of the Conservation Unit lives on less than the minimum wage. REFLORA also helps to mitigate the effects of climate change, contributing to sustainable development in the Amazon.

REFLORA has the support of partners such as the Amazonas State Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA), the Association of Traditional Peoples and Communities of the Puranga Conquista RDS (APCT), and Natura, which helps with research and training. The active participation of communities in monitoring restored areas ensures that these ecological practices are long-lasting, bringing positive results for the future.

The project is part of the Floresta Viva Amazonas initiative by Funbio – the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund, and promotes the integration of biodiversity conservation with the social and economic development of local communities.