Science Panel for the Amazon Highlights the Vital Role of Education, Science, and Collaboration at UNGA78

On the margins of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) and the Science Summit, the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) convened several panels that brought together representatives from the finance sector, academia, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ (IPCL) leaders.

The dialogues engaged on Amazon conservation, education, science, technology, innovation, sustainable bioeconomies, and the vital role IPLCs play in conserving the Amazon.

The inaugural event, "The Role of Education, Science, and Technology on the Survival of the Amazon," took place on September 19 and featured the following panel of speakers:

• Emma Torres, SPA Strategic Coordinator, VP of the Americas and Head of the NY Office at SDSN.
• Carlos Nobre, SPA Co-Chair and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Sao Paulo.
• Adalberto Val, Member of the SPA Science Steering Committee and Senior Researcher at the Brazilian National Institute for Research of the Amazon.
• María Luiza Paiva, Sustainability Executive Vice President at VALE. 
• Lauro Barata, Professor and Senior Researcher at the University of Campinas and the University of Western Pará.
• João Meirelles, CEO and General Director of Peabiru Institute.
• Marco Ehrlich, Postgraduate Professor at Universidad El Bosque and former deputy director for science and technology at the Amazon Research Institute of Colombia.
• Francisco Apurinã, Business Administrator and Postdoctoral fellow from the University of Helsinki in Finland.
• Marielos Peña-Claros, SPA Co-Chair, Professor in Forest Ecology and Forest Management, and member of the Academic Council of Wageningen University.

Presentations highlighted the significance of education, training, and knowledge sharing for the conservation of the Amazon and for advancing nature-based sustainable solutions. The event also underlined the importance of integration of Indigenous knowledge and science and the promotion of a socio-bioeconomy for sustainable development.

Key messages from the event included:

1. The need for integration of knowledge systems: The panel underscored the importance of integrating scientific knowledge with Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK).
2. Investment in Education, Science and Technology are essential for understanding the vast richness of the Amazon and to transform knowledge into sustainable innovations to benefit the Amazonian population. The importance of establishing and connecting research and development hubs across the region was also emphasized.
3. Access to quality education, technical training, and technological platforms is crucial for Amazon conservation and essential for strengthening capacities in Amazon communities.
4. A transition to a socio-bioeconomy (i.e., through biofactories), while benefiting local communities. Carlos Nobre highlighted the importance of “new solutions opportunities to keep forests standing and alive, combining forest potentials with the newest technologies, and creating spaces for local business initiatives."

The second event in the SPA Science Summit series, titled “Supporting Bioeconomies of a Healthy Standing Forest and Flowing Rivers in the Amazon," took place on September 22. It was moderated by Roberto Waack, Member of the SPA Strategic Committee, Chairman of the Board of the Arapyaú Institute, and Co-founder of the initiative Uma Concertação pela Amazônia and of the Coalizão Brasil, Clima, Floresta e Agricultura. It engaged the following panelists:

• Emma Torres, SPA Strategic Coordinator, VP of the Americas and Head of the NY Office at SDSN.
• Carlos Nobre, SPA Co-Chair and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Advanced Studies at University of Sao Paulo.
• Rachael Garrett, SPA Lead Author and Professor at the University of Cambridge.
• Ana Euler, SPA Author and Business Executive Director of Embrapa
• Ana María González Velosa, Coordinator of the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program at the World Bank.
• Yves Lesenfants, Sustainability & Inclusion Senior Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank.
• Gregorio Mirabal, Member of the SPA Strategic Committee and Climate Change and Biodiversity coordinator at COICA.
• Marco van der Ree, Founding Board Member and currently the interim Executive Director for Conexsus in Brazil.

The panelists explored challenges and opportunities to advance Amazonian bioeconomies. Deforestation and degradation have often been justified on account of generating economic benefits, despite limited evidence of generating inclusive development, noted Rachael Garrett. The panel discussed an alternative sustainable path forward.

The SPA Bioeconomy Policy Brief, released during the Amazon Presidents' Summit in August 2023, served as a background for the discussions. Below are key messages of the discussion:

1. The need to establish safeguards against the misuse of the bioeconomy concept. Socio-bioeconomies are based around the sustainable use and restoration of healthy standing forests and flowing rivers and support the well-being, knowledge, rights, and territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
2. Land tenure security, access to public policies, long term partnerships, and ethical markets are key factors to scale up the socio-bioeconomies in the Amazon.
3. Balancing sustainable development and conservation. The discussions emphasized the urgency of adopting sustainable bioeconomic practices that both stimulate economic growth and conserve the Amazon's natural resources. Structural changes centered on justice, diversity, and inclusivity are required to achieve this.
4. The need to establish inclusive and participatory socio-bioeconomy planningand collaborative implementation processes that builds on IPLC knowledge and institutions and respect their rights. The panel underscored the importance of strengthening capacities in local communities through tools, knowledge exchange, and opportunities to actively participate in and benefit from the bioeconomic activities. Opportunities presented by hundreds of socio-bioeconomy initiatives in IPLC territories at different planning and ideation stages were emphasized.
5. Biodiversity conservation. Panelists highlighted that responsible bioeconomic practices are a vital part of safeguarding the region's unique biodiversity. These could be supported by comprehensive geospatial analysis tools that support strategic decisions, facilitate information exchange, and encourage investments.
6. Finance is essential for scaling up bioeconomy in conjunction with a broader enabling environment including governance, traceability systems, and partnerships. Innovative financial instruments that leverage private markets, such as bonds with returns to conservation and risk mitigation, provide opportunities to increase financing for bioeconomy. Blended finance instruments, using guarantees, grants, and other de-risking instruments to mobilize private capital which could be deployed on concessional terms, were also highlighted.

In summary, the panel made a case that socio-bioeconomies of healthy standing forests and flowing rivers are essential for the future of the Amazon and its populations, including IPLCs; and emphasized that collaboration, financing, and sustainable infrastructure are crucial enablers for upscaling socio-bioeconomies.

As Gregorio Mirabal (COICA) stated: "The big challenge in the Amazon is to implement an economy that respects the rights of the rainforest and the rights of the Indigenous Peoples."

SPA's third event "The Role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Conserving the Amazon and Preventing Tipping Points," took place online on September 28. Discussions revolved around deforestation trends, threats to IPLCs, the importance of Indigenous Territories as barriers against deforestation, and opportunities for collaborative solutions. It also showcased successful case studies on knowledge systems integration, bioeconomy, and governance on Surui and Baniwa Indigenous Territories.

The SPA's presence at the UNGA78 Science Summit brought attention to the critical issues facing the Amazon and advocated for concrete actions. Through education, science, and collaboration, the SPA has demonstrated the power of collective efforts in safeguarding this vital region.