The biodiversity existing in the region, which plays a fundamental role in the quality of local and global life is still largely unknown, especially regarding to what is hidden in the genome of the organisms that make it up. Fish is the major source of protein in the region. However, regional biodiversity also might include bacteria, fungi and viruses that could cause new epidemics and even pandemics. Monitoring potential new zoonosis is essential, particularly in the face of human impact either directly by interacting with and destroying the forest, or indirectly through climate change. . The Amazon forest stores a significant amount of carbon (150-200 GtC) and contributes daily to the removal of a massive amount of carbon emission from the atmosphere.
The Amazon biome has been populated for thousands of years. When the Europeans arrived in the region, there were between 8 and 10 million people in the forests. Only part of the original population managed to survive disease and violence, and to this group were later added the afro-descendants (quilombolas), riverine communities, and a vast array of other social groups. Today, there are 2,2 million Indigenous peoples in over 400 Indigenous communities. The Amazon also includes large urban populations that put pressure on biodiversity by pollution of plastics, metals, and medicines, among others. Megacities, such as Manaus, with over 2 million inhabitants, need to be developed in harmony and be compatible with the forest.
The development model based on the need of the replacement of the forest for other land uses, has produced extensive changes in the territory, with land being used for purposes that are not sustainable, given the characteristics of the soils in the region that do not support agricultural production cycles. When removed by extensive burning for example, the soil "dies" with it in a short time of a few years. Degrading lands do not even support the local communities. These degraded lands are the result of cattle ranching, extensive agriculture and the impact of other extractive industries and have already resulted in almost 20% of degraded areas, with local, regional and global impacts. It is essential to seek sustainable development alternatives that keep the forests standing and the rivers flowing.
Besides the human impact on the Amazonian environment, the impact of global climate change needs also to be addressed. Even if we succeed in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement of keeping global warming below 1.5oC, a significant increase of temperature in the region for the coming years is expected, especially for some micro - and meso-scale regions. These temperature increases have diverse impacts on the forest; making it more vulnerable to fire, as on the aquatic environment, since many aquatic species, particularly fish, live near their thermal limits. The biodiversity and climate crises are pushing the Amazon to a tipping point with an irreversible shift to degraded lands. These two crises can no longer be considered separately; they are part of the same challenge affecting the Amazon forest, as well as the most vulnerable people, including children, women, and marginalized Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).
In order to advance sustainable development pathways for the Amazon there is a need for substantial investment in research, technology and innovation. Currently only about 2.5% of Research, Development and Technology investments in Brazil are directed to the Amazon. The situation in the other Amazon countries is even more critical. To advance this vision, cooperation among the Amazonian countries is of high priority. In addition, enhancing institutions for the transformation of global knowledge about the Amazon into sustainable technologies is also essential. The successful realization of this vision requires the presence of several enabling conditions, including research infrastructure, the emergence of new markets, shifts in social preferences, and a cultural transformation that embraces a holistic perspective on forest socio-biodiversity. It is important to mobilize available technologies compatible with the requirements of the Amazon biome that enable forest conservation, social inclusion, and income generation. It is also necessary to develop the educational and research infrastructure for innovative technologies, to preserve standing forests and healthy flowing rivers.
