REDD+ Project enables new infrastructure that improves the quality of life for forest communities in the Rio Preto-Jacundá Extractive Reserve.
Nearly 30 families living in the Rio Preto-Jacundá Extractive Reserve (RESEX), a protected area covering 95,000 hectares in the municipalities of Machadinho D’Oeste and Cujubim, Rondônia, began benefiting from the construction of a new community complex. The works, launched in January 2019 and completed later that year, included eight new houses, a community office with an information technology room, a cafeteria, an auditorium and a dedicated facility for storing machinery and equipment used by local extractivist families.
The initiative was developed through a partnership between Biofílica, the Rio Preto-Jacundá Extractive Reserve Residents’ Association (ASMOREX), the CES Rioterra and the Government of the State of Rondônia. The investments were made possible through the commercialization of REDD+ carbon credits generated by the project, demonstrating how climate finance can simultaneously support forest conservation and strengthen local livelihoods.
Since 2012, the project has directed resources toward improving living conditions in the Reserve while protecting forests threatened by deforestation. Beyond environmental conservation, the initiative contributes to the socio-economic development of traditional communities that often face limited access to basic infrastructure and public services.
“The structure we had before was improvised. Sometimes we could barely hold association meetings during the dry season because there wasn’t enough water even for the bathrooms.”
José Pinheiro Borges, President of ASMOREX
Infrastructure that creates new opportunities
Among the new facilities, the information technology room is expected to have one of the greatest impacts, especially for children and teenagers, who now have access to computers and the internet. The new infrastructure expands educational opportunities while strengthening communication within the community.
The project also brought renewable energy solutions to five riverside families living along the Rio Preto River through photovoltaic power generation systems. Previously, electricity depended on small fuel-powered generators that operated for only a few hours each day.
Reliable access to electricity has transformed everyday life by improving household comfort and creating new economic opportunities. With freezers operating continuously, families are now able to safely store highly perishable forest products, such as açaí, increasing their potential income and reducing losses during harvest periods.
Learn how the Rio Preto-Jacundá REDD+ Project combines forest conservation with investments that improve the quality of life of traditional Amazon communities.
