Amazon Land Use Dialogue, Endemism Center of Belem

The great challenge in the Endemism Center of Belém (ECB) is to develop ways of using the valuable natural capital, without destroying the environment, and innovate with productive activities capable of generating job opportunities and income for local population. The 140 municipalities that are part of Pará and Maranhão are featured by low human development index and high inequality indexes. That is, the challenges are huge when it comes to the necessity of the development of productive activities that ally the protection and the recovery of the natural capital to the socioeconomic demands of the local.

In the context presented above, the ECB was chosen as a case study for the first Amazon Land Use Dialogue. Held in Belém on August 20th and 21st, 2019, it was attended by members of companies, civil society organizations and educational and research institutions. The first meeting of the Land Use Dialogue at the Endemism Center of Belém was a scoping meeting, whose main objectives were:

1. Define key areas of agreement and disagreement (fracture lines) on land use in ECB and possible information gaps;
2. Analyze whether relevant stakeholders are present or whether someone is missing and;
3. Determine whether there is a path based on dialogue for stakeholders to make significant progress towards achieving a common vision on land use in the context of ECB.

The following actions were identified as priority next steps mobilize and engage identified stakeholders; hold a second meeting, to discuss follow-up actions including the possible formation of a forest forum at CEB; and define locations for conducting field dialogues.