Continuing the exercise of looking at the concept of landscape in a more integrated way, the third module of the course "From the Backyard to the Landscape: Training in Agroforestry, Restoration and Integrated Management in the Gurupi Mosaic" focused on environmental and territorial management tools, which are very important for developing strategies for the care, use and protection of territories and their natural resources. Water management was highlighted in the discussions, with a special focus on the Pindaré River basin, an important waterway for the Maranhão context, which connects the Cerrado biome, with its source in the Krikati Indigenous Land, and the Amazon, with its mouth in another important river of the state, the Mearim. The module took place in Santa Inês (MA), from August 29th to September 2nd, and participants included representatives from the six indigenous lands that make up the Gurupi Mosaic, the Gurupi Biological Reserve, the Casa Família Rural School, the Landless Workers' Movement, and the Quilombo do Onça. The initiative is part of the Indigenous Landscapes project, a partnership between the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN), the Center for Indigenous Work (CTI), the Nupef Institute, and with support from the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI).
To restore in order to recover and/or maintain water sources.
Water management and care emerged on the very first day of activities. The theme was common in the presentations of the work carried out between modules at each stage of the training. Through videos and photographs, participants presented an overview of areas in their territories that require restoration actions, in many cases linked to the maintenance of water sources in their villages and communities. This demonstrates a great concern about the scarcity of this resource, which is disappearing in indigenous territories, as well as in settlements and other territorial contexts. In the case of Indigenous Lands, this situation is further aggravated by deforestation caused by non-indigenous invasions, coupled with the effects of climate change that are affecting rainfall patterns.
Mariana Krikati, from the Krikati Indigenous Land, highlighted in her presentation that after the course she became very interested in investigating what happened to the "Olho d'água" (water spring), a place in her village that was used as a bathing area and water source.
"It was a type of pond that has been degraded; everyone has memories of playing in that place," he stated.
The areas identified for restoration are often linked to the participants' emotional memories, involving landscapes and resources used daily by their ancestors, but which are now altered or degraded. Concerns also extend to the well-being of future generations, regarding the enjoyment of the benefits of a forest, as is the case for Antônio Guajajara, from the Araribóia Indigenous Land, who intends to restore 2 hectares.
"We are thinking about our grandchildren, so that they can see and learn about the animals that lived in that place, so that they can see the forest that existed before," he said.
Marina Cíntia Guajajara, also from the Araribóia Indigenous Territory, spoke about Lagoa Quieta, a sacred place that has been degraded over the years, but which the women of her family are now caring for to restore. “This area has a lot of meaning; it’s where my grandmother lived. There are many mysteries there, which is why we don’t show the place to just anyone. We are planting seedlings around the lagoon and we see life returning, with birds and animals,” she reported.
Beatriz Guadalupe, from the Rural Family School, spoke about a 2.5-hectare area at her school that needs restoration. “Initially, we need to correct the soil, which is very sandy, to restore it, and then implement an Agroforestry System (SAF) to produce food for our school.” The young woman also highlighted that this action will involve the entire school community, as it will serve as environmental education lessons.
The management of the Pindaré River
Water was the main theme of the panel “Dialogue on the Pindaré River Basin,” which aimed to discuss environmental management for the conservation of the Pindaré River Basin. The discussion took place at the Engenho Cultural Center in Pindaré-Mirim, a neighboring municipality to Santa Inês that is bathed by the river. The panel included representatives from academia, the Pindaré basin committee, public administration, and organized civil society.
Using remote sensing research data, Professor Walter Mueda, from the Federal University of Maranhão, presented information about the pressures that the Pindaré River basin has been experiencing over the years. According to the professor, satellite images clearly show the various causes of increased deforestation along the Pindaré River, such as: road construction, areas cleared for agriculture and livestock, large-scale projects like the construction of the Carajás Railway, among others. The historical series presented by Professor Mueda made it clear that Indigenous Lands are primarily responsible for maintaining forest cover throughout the state and that, without them, and at the rate of deforestation underway in the region over the last few decades, the situation would most likely be much more serious.
"We need to restore this entire region along the Pindaré basin to create corridors that connect the areas that are still preserved," Mueda stated.
Nonato Moraes, president of the Pindaré River Basin Committee (CDB), gave a speech highlighting the importance of committees for river conservation in Brazil. These are collegiate bodies that bring together actors from both civil society and government agencies to think about and define policies for water management in the basins. "Instruments that bring together people and institutions seeking the conservation of our waters are necessary, and the Committee is one of these instruments," Moraes emphasized. The president also stressed that forest conservation is inseparable from water preservation. "Without forests there is no water; we need the forest standing because 90% of river water is supplied by groundwater, and it is the trees that carry the water underground," he stated. Finally, he called on everyone to engage more actively in discussions about the recovery of the Pindaré River basin, given its social, cultural, and ecological relevance to dozens of peoples and communities along its course.
Other topics discussed included the reforestation efforts along the banks of the Pindaré River by the Pindaré Mirim city hall, and at the river's headwaters located in the Krikati Indigenous Territory. Nilton Carlos, advisor to the Environment Secretariat of the Pindaré Mirim city hall, presented the "Pindaré River: Source of Life" initiative, which has been carrying out environmental education and reforestation actions along the riverbanks since 2018. "We need to leave this water source for future generations," said the advisor.
Amadeu dos Santos, from the Indigenous Work Center, and Celso Barros, from ISPN, highlighted the importance of recovery actions being in accordance with local demands, with processes of listening and joint construction between partners and indigenous peoples.
Tools for thinking about environmental and territorial management.
Another highlight of the third module was the theme "Environmental and Territorial Management Instruments." The session was facilitated by João Guilherme Nunes Cruz, coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Program at ISPN, who addressed concepts of management instruments and their main objectives. Among the central points raised was the importance of considering territorial care, analyzing the past and present in order to identify changes and plan for the future through collective strategies and the development of participatory tools appropriate to each reality for territorial and environmental management.
The facilitator also addressed and promoted a collective discussion on the different types of management instruments, according to the sociocultural context and territorial category, as in the case of indigenous lands which, in recent decades, have begun to develop their ethnomapping, ethno-zoning, environmental and territorial management plans (PGTAs), consultation protocols, among others, directly influencing the development of... National Policy for Environmental and Territorial Management, PNGATI. There was also discussion about management instruments for conservation units, such as management plans, ecological corridors and mosaics of protected areas, as well as about internal regulations for agrarian reform settlements and political-pedagogical projects of the Rural Family Homes.
Learn more about the course
"From the Backyard to the Landscape: Training in Agroforestry, Restoration, and Integrated Management in the Gurupi Mosaic" is an initiative carried out by ISPN, with the objective of discussing the benefits of environmental restoration at different landscape scales, starting with agroforestry practices that combine trees with food crops and promote food security, income generation, and community well-being. The training encompasses themes directly related to territorial governance from the local level to macro-landscapes, thus contributing to the formation of leaders, aiming for more qualified participation in public policy bodies, such as environmental councils, basin committees, and mosaics of protected areas, among others, helping to consolidate and expand the gains achieved in relation to the protection and management of their territories.