President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke this Sunday (2) with residents of the Jamaraquá community, which brings together more than a thousand families of extractivists and riverside dwellers, in the Tapajós National Forest (Flona), which is located in the west of Pará. The visit is part of a series of prior agendas to the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will take place from November 10th to 21st, in Belém, Pará.
Before that, on the 6th and 7th of November, Lula will preside over the Climate Summit, which will bring together dozens of heads of state in the capital of Pará. Therefore, throughout the next week, the president will remain in the state. He spoke to the riverside people, valuing the opportunity that the summit offers to give visibility to the Amazon and make the world have a different perspective, which goes beyond nature preservation.
“This COP30 is a unique moment in the history of Brazil, because it is a moment in which we are forcing the world to look at the Amazon with the eyes it should look at the Amazon. It’s not just asking us to keep the forest standing”, he said.
“It is necessary to ask us to keep the forest standing and for it to remain standing, we have to provide economic, educational and health support to the people who take care of this standing forest, because these people have nothing to eat, people are not going to take care of anything”, he added.
Close to Alter do Chão, the community of Jamaraquá is also recognized for community-based tourism, with trails through the forest and streams, and also for the manufacture of biojewelry.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, also participated in the visit. According to her, the lifestyle of families in the region protects the forest. “Here is an example of bioeconomy, here is an example of socio-biodiversity, here is an example of how the forest remains standing and creates living conditions and dignity for people”, he said.
“Here are the extractivists, here are the artisans and artisans, here are the rubber tappers, here are many activities that they combine throughout the year”, he added.
According to her, riverside dwellers know how to respect the forest cycle, keeping the forest standing for generations, which gives families dignity. According to the minister, Flona do Tapajós brings together 1,200 families spread over an area of more than 500,000 preserved hectares.
