The Xixuau Reserve Fighting against Political Obstacles for its Existence

g















One of the two model forest projects I´m going to visit in the Brazilian Amazonas, is the Xixuau-Xiparina Reserve, located in the South of the Brazilian state of Roraima. Compared to the project sites I visited in Indonesia and Cameroon, this reserve is huge – 172 460 hectares with only about 100 people living in it, they plan enlarge it even to 630 000 hectares. The enlarged reserve would encompass about 850 “Caboclos” - that is Brazilians who originate in other parts of the country and came to live along the rivers of the Amazonas over the past century, encouraged by the Brazilian government in an effort to “develop” and open-up the biggest rainforest of the world. At the time of my arrival, the decree for the creation of this enlarged Extractive Reserve of the Lower Rio Branco-Jauaperi River was supposed to be already signed by President Lula. Instead, Chris Clark, Scottish-native co-founder of the reserve (together with local caboclo Plinio), was once more summoned to the police. About 50% of the budget of the reserve goes into legal and political defence against continuing accusations which seem to be without factual grounds, calculates Clark. Regular raids by highly armed military and police men have never produced any evidences of crimes such as drugs and arms smuggling, pharmaceutical piracy, spying for foreign governments or even training of “eco guerrillas” in the reserve. A number of death threats have earned Clark the invitation to be enrolled in the national personal defence programme which he declined to accept in order to continue his present lifestyle. A decision not without risks as many famous defenders of the environment and of the people have been murdered in the Amazon in the past. But the support of diverse reputable organizations and individuals in Brazil and abroad including the WWF and the former Environmental Minister and Lula’s contester for the next presidential elections, Marina Silva, have helped sustaining the reserve.

Only a tiny fraction of the vast reserve consisting of untouched primary forest is under use by the community, about 30h. Exploitation of the natural resources is forbidden, logging only for own-use of the community. Fishing and small-scale farming provide basic food stuff, topped-up by income from activities such as ecotourism and nature documentaries. With the help of donors, a number of projects have been realized which considerably improve the livelihoods of local people. 3 primary schools are operating, a nurse is in training, the health post is well stocked and malaria has practically been eradicated in the area. Communication with the outside world is facilitated by a satellite telephone and internet powered by solar panels. Future projects scheduled to be realized as soon as the legal situation is secured are a secondary school, a forest college, a research center, diversification of economic activities for instance to apiculture (beekeeping) and improving the functioning of the eco-farm.

The nature and wildlife of the reserve are extraordinary and can be explored by canoe or on foot. Small river dolphins and big alligators can be seen swimming in the Xixuau river right in front of the main settlement every day. Giant otters, anacondas and river turtles are further fascinating creatures populating the rivers while the tree tops are full of various species of monkeys and birds.

The Caboclos of Xixuau are good neighbours with the much bigger community of the militant Waimiri Atroari Indians. When commercial fishing boats invaded the area and considerably diminished the fish stocks, the Indigenous sank one of the boats, putting effectively an end to this kind of unsustainable exploitation.

According to Clark, the reserve shows that it is possible to live good in the forests without deteriorating them. 800 Reais, about 300 Euro, per family as monthly income is sufficient to make them preserve nature, if infrastructure, health services, education and communication means are provided. Payments for environmental services, including for avoided deforestation, could be an important element of the income of those forest people. If such basic services and income are not ensured, local people are likely to move away, leaving the forest vulnerable to destructive exploiting activities of outsiders or even participate in such activities themselves.

The enlarged reserve is supposed to form one day part of a long “ecological corridor”, stretching via several other reserves to the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve -my next destination.