On Thursday (13), Casa Balaio, a historic house in Belém, hosted a series of parallel events promoted by IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute).
Public Forests
The panel “Emerging Territories: Unallocated Public Forests” brought together experts and leaders from traditional peoples and communities who demonstrated how the allocation of these areas is one of the large-scale strategies that can contribute most to climate action and compliance with the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and the Paris Agreement.
“There are many traditional communities, indigenous peoples and extractive populations living in these public forests. If they are assigned to some kind of category, we will see a 40% reduction in deforestation in the Amazon,” said Rebecca Guimarães, a researcher at IPAM.
Climate adaptation and resilience
In the panel “Rootedness despite uncertainty: immobility in a changing climate”, Patricia Pinho, IPAM’s Deputy Director of Research, presented a case study carried out in the coastal region of the Amazon. The results show that 90% of the people consulted prefer to stay in their territories, despite the climate risks affecting the region.
Pinho also said that climate change affects men and women in different ways. “Men are more concerned about the impact of climate change on material goods and a possible economic crisis. On the other hand, most of the women we spoke to are worried about the future, what will happen to their family or their sense of belonging to the community.”
Ângela Lopes de Jesus, President of FETAGRI-PA (Federation of Agricultural Workers of Pará), brought up the reality of the region’s fisherwomen. “Due to climate change, they no longer find the same species of fish or the same quantity. Some of them end up migrating because they can no longer find any prospects or possibilities for survival,” he said.
In the panel “Integrated and Resilient Cities – Connections from the Global South”, Ludmila Rattis, a researcher at IPAM and the Woodwell Climate Research Center, presented data showing how the impacts of global warming could result in reduced precipitation [rainfall] in the long term and an increase in the temperature of fire. “If we continue to throw greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, like the exploitation at the mouth of the Amazon, it will be critical for cities like Belém,” said Rattis.
Frances Seymour, a researcher associated with IPAM and Woodwell, explained that trees are rain-generating machines, through evapotranspiration and the release of aerosols, complex chemical processes in the atmosphere. According to her, state conservation and restoration measures can be felt relatively immediately and significantly.
Cerrado in the spotlight
TransCerrado cyclists have shared their experiences on two wheels during the five editions of the scientific expedition for the conservation of the biome. “It’s not just about the scarcity of resources in the biome – Cerrado culture is also being lost. Along the way, it was possible to see the evasion of the city’s traditional communities. I remember seeing schools with a capacity for 150 students with 2 students. That’s because the rest of them have gone to other cities to look for opportunities,” said Paulo Moutinho, senior researcher at IPAM, about the 2025 edition.
The “Amazon and Cerrado connected by water” event highlighted the role of the Cerrado for the country’s water supply. “It has excellent technology for taking water from the atmosphere, storing it in deep soil and making it available in times of drought. Where does the water come from when it’s not raining? From underground in the Cerrado. But this is being lost to deforestation – the area deforested in the Brazilian part of the biome is equivalent to the size of Chile,” explained Yuri Salmona, director of the Cerrados Institute, a partner in the event along with Rede Cerrados and ISPN (Instituto Sociedade População e Natureza).
Cine IPAM
A special cinema section was held at the end of the day with the screening of the film “The Call of Chief Raoni: Heritage, Land and Future”. The documentary highlights Chief Raoni Metuktire’s struggle for human rights and environmental conservation, highlighting the importance of dialogue between indigenous peoples and non-indigenous society. “This is a tribute to Chief Raoni, to the indigenous peoples and to their knowledge and science,” said Lucas Ramos, the production’s director.