September 5, 2002—In Johannesburg on Tuesday, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank, and the conservation organization, WWF joined the Brazilian government in supporting a new program that will triple the amount of the Amazon rainforest under federal protection, thus assuring the conservation of an area twice as big as the United Kingdom or almost twice the size of US State Texas, amounting to 12 percent of Brazil’s total forest area.

Launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the new 10-year Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) program sets aside 50 million hectares of Amazon rainforest under federal protection. The protected area will include samples of all 23 Amazonian eco-regions, as well as several local communities that could benefit from the scheme.

The Brazilian initiative also marks a significant step for the World Bank/WWF Alliance for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use. Formed in 1997, the Alliance works in partnership with governments, the private sector, and civil society to reduce the rate of loss and degradation of forests worldwide to increase protected areas, improve protected area management, and improve forest management practices for production forests.

"Saving the rainforests is essential to sustainable development and we need to scale up our efforts to an unprecedented level. ARPA is an excellent example," World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn said. Wolfensohn congratulated President Cardoso and the people of Brazil for their remarkable gift to the future, calling it an act of global significance.

WWF’s Director General Dr. Claude Martin also applauded the APRA program, describing it as a cornerstone for conservation, commensurate with the scale of effort required to protect the Amazon region’s rich and valuable biodiversity. "This single program will protect 3.6 percent of the world’s remaining tropical forests," he said.

One of the innovative aspects of the ARPA Program is the establishment of a Fiduciary Fund whose income will guarantee the future maintenance of parks and reserves. The Program is based on a decentralized and participatory approach, with creation of new protected areas respecting the interests of communities and other stakeholders through a representative program management committee. In addition, the program will seek greater socioeconomic integration with local society by also working in the buffer zone of the protected areas. ARPA will also establish a biodiversity monitoring and evaluation system at both protected area and regional levels.

The 10-year ARPA Program is estimated to cost US$ 395 million. In a joint declaration, the partners expressed their strong support to ARPA’s short and long-term goals, securing US$ 81.5 million for its first four-year phase. The World Bank and WWF have also committed to raise a further US$70 million each to help meet the long-term target.

The ARPA Program is the accomplishment of a pledge made in 1998 by President Cardoso to place 10 percent of the Brazilian Amazon in strict-use protected areas. The original target was later expanded and now also includes sustainable use areas. ARPA received its first big boost with the recent creation on August 22 of the world’s largest tropical forest park, the 38,867 sq km Tumucumaque National Park. "Our commitment to forest conservation in the Amazon is no longer a promise" said Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. "By combining efforts with our partners and implementing the ARPA Program, Brazil is giving an example of reconciliation between environment and social priorities."