ASMOREX establishes measures to avoid the contagion and control the crisis caused by the pandemic. Awareness and information are the main resources so that the community is part of the solution.
Faced with the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to the increase of cases in the region of Machadinho D’Oeste (Rondônia State), the board of ASMOREX (Associação dos Moradores da RESEX Rio Preto-Jacundá (In a free translation, Association of Residents of the Extractive Reserve (RESEX) Rio Preto-Jacundá)), which is proponent of the REDD+ project of same name, established measures to avoid the contagion of the extractive community.
In order to protect the local population, the first and most important measure was to guide the residents to not accept external visits in any circumstance other than essential services. In addition, following the social distancing guidance, the community transportation to the city was suspended, being restricted to the transport of food and supplies or health emergencies.
Even with the current situation of Rondônia, up to date, none of the residents of the reserve have had any symptoms or were suspected to have contracted the virus and the extractive activities were not affected, which reflects the work made by the association. But the growing number of cases in the municipality calls the attention of the community leaders.
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“We have a concern because the number is really growing here in the urban area, and this can result in a lockdown”
says José Pinheiro, President of ASMOREX.”
Facing this scenario, raising public awareness has been the main resource so that extreme measures are not necessary, which might affect even more the local economy
In the cases of the isolated regions in the times such as those we are passing by, to engage the local communities is essential so that they may be part of the solution. Therefore, one of the roles of the REDD+ projects is the care with the residents of the regions where they operate and the support of the organizations such as ASMOREX, which provide this kind of assistance, is really important for these populations.
Do you want to learn more about the Rio Preto-Jacundá REDD+ Project, which besides promoting the forest
and biodiversity monitoring, also helps in the sustainable development of the extractive reserve’s community?