ARPA’s goal is to protect 60 million hectares of the Brazilian Amazon by creating designated fully-protected and sustainable use areas. ARPA was created in 2002 and designed to be carried out in three phases, which are due to be concluded in 2016. Each phase has a set of goals around the creation and organization of protected areas and for capitalization of the Protected Areas Fund, a trust created by Funbio whose earnings are used for maintenance of the protected areas.
ARPA Phase I (2002 – 2008), which has been a resounding success, will issue a report on the allocation of funding in December 2009. The most important results of Phase I were:
• 22 million hectares of forest land designated as protected areas;
• 32 million hectares protected;
• 61 state- and federally-protected areas, including 31 fully-protected areas and 30 sustainable use areas;
• 20 studies on the creation of new protected areas in progress;
• Approximately R$75 million in the Protected Areas Fund.
Objectives for ARPA Phase II (2010 to 2013):
• To support the creation of 200 million hectares of new fully-protected and sustainable use areas.
• To complete the organization of 27.5 million hectares of existing protected areas.
• Raise $140 million for the Protected Areas Fund.
The goals for Phase III of ARPA, which is scheduled to end in 2016, are focused on solidifying the organization of the protected areas established during the previous phases and during the transition from use of funding from donations to funding from the Protected Areas Fund and financial mechanisms developed by ARPA. The Protected Areas Fund intends to raise $240 million by the end of the program.
ARPA has instituted the following five components to accomplish the goals:
1 - Creation and Implementation of New Protected Areas
To create and implement fully-protected and sustainable use areas in priority conservation areas of the Amazon. Environmental and socio-economic studies, geographical surveys and demarcation of sites will be performed for potential protected areas. Construction of infrastructure, recruiting of personnel and creation of management plans will be carried out. Areas will be monitored and integration plans for local communities will be established. In addition, public hearings will be held and advisory councils (for fully-protected areas) or governing councils (for sustainable use areas) will be formed.
2 – Organization of Existing Fully-protected Areas
To promote the solidification of the infra-structure of fully-protected areas created before 2002, which are now covered by ARPA. This involves land surveying, demarcation of the sites, construction of infra-structure, recruiting of personnel, and creation of management plans. In addition, sites will be monitored, community advisory councils will be formed and integration plans for local communities will be created.
3 - Financial Mechanisms for Sustainability of Protected Areas
To establish and raise capital for the Protected Areas Fund and study financial mechanisms and legalities of generating financial resources for the protected areas. In Phase II of ARPA, the results of these studies will fund the development of pilot projects in fully-protected areas.
4 - Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity in Protected Areas
To establish a monitoring and assessment system for protected areas and nearby communities to foster proper and efficient management of protected areas.
5 - Project Coordination and Management
To support the creation and operation of two administrative divisions of ARPA: the program coordination department and ARPA management within Funbio.