Alcoa announced last week that its Latin American affiliate Alcoa Aluminio S.A., Alcoa Foundation and Conservation International (CI-Brasil) are launching a program to support conservation of the biodiversity in one of the richest areas for species -- between the Tapajs and Madeira Rivers, in the West of Par State and the East of Amazonas State, Brazil.
The aim of the program is to collaborate on the implementation of conservation units in the region, a strategy which, according to many studies, is considered the most efficient in protecting the biodiversity and restricting deforestation in areas that are socially and economically dynamic. The program will be implemented over five years and will receive $1.03 million from the partner institutions.
"Alcoa has a commitment to the sustainable use of natural resources. Through dialogue with the community, promoted everywhere the company operates, but especially when introducing the Juruti Mine in Par, we are sharing in building a sustainable enterprise that also seeks to conserve biodiversity. The actual implementation of the conservation units that will benefit from the Conservation Program is one of the greatest legacies we can leave for the society of the Amazon," said Franklin L. Feder, president of Alcoa Latin America.
The initiative is an expansion of a three-year partnership. Since 2004 with the financial support of Alcoa, CI-Brasil has been working in the Amazon National Park in Itaituba, in Par. .
In the first phase of the program, five conservation units have been selected as priorities for investment: the Tapajs-Arapiuns Hunting and Gathering Reserve, Amazon National Park, Pau Rosa National Forest, Maus State Forest and the Aman National Forest.
