Which Amazon Rainforest reserve became Brazil’s first sustainable development reserve in 1996?

The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve became Brazil’s first sustainable development reserve in 1996.

Mamirauá lies in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, near the meeting area of the Solimões and Japurá rivers. Much of the reserve consists of seasonally flooded várzea forest, where annual river fluctuations reshape habitats and human livelihoods.

The reserve’s management model combines biodiversity protection with regulated use by local communities. Research and conservation work there has focused on floodplain ecology, fisheries, forest resources, and species such as the Amazon river dolphin and the white uakari.

It differs from a strict national park because sustainable development reserves explicitly recognize the role of resident communities. The reserve is also associated with the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development, which supports scientific research and community-based conservation.