ICLEI World CongressICLEI Local Governments for SustainabilityCity of São Paulo
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Amazonian cities, unique and irreplaceable

20/06/2024, 10:00 - 11:15

Watch this plenary live on YouTube!

A special dialogue on urban Amazonia, the region encompassing the world’s largest rainforest, and one of only three global hotspots for biocultural diversity. Its vast expanse crosses nine countries (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) and countless cities with an estimated 50 million people. According to the 2010 census carried out by the IBGE, 72% of the population of the Brazilian Amazon resides in urban centers, contributing to the complexity of its management.

Given this scenario, it is imperative to place the sustainable development of the Amazon’s urban areas at the heart of our conservation and adaptation strategies. In addition, the region’s cities are currently facing significant challenges in terms of social vulnerability and precarious public services, under pressure from growing populations and their environmental demands.

This plenary of the ICLEI World Congress 2024 marks a decisive moment to promote ambitious, integrated and urgent sustainable policies, encouraging collaboration between local governments via platforms such as the Forum of Amazon Cities (FCA) institutionalized in 2023, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.

Speakers
  • Ana Costa, Superintendent of the Social Development and Public Management Area of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) – video message
  • Ana Lucia Reis, Mayor of Cobija, Bolivia 
  • Antonio da Costa e Silva, Head of International Affairs of the Ministry of Cities, Brazil
  • Edmilson Rodrigues, Mayor of Belém 
  • German Vladimir Chong, Governor, Provincial Municipality of Maynas, Peru
  • Hélinah Cardoso, Director of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, GCoM
  • Janet Yvone C. Vasquez, Mayor of Coronel Portillo, Pucallpa
  • Maria Cecília Zenezokemaero, Brazilian Environmental Activist
  • Vanessa Grazziotin, Executive Director of Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, OTCA 
Moderator
  • Rodrigo Perpetuo, Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America
  • Braulio Díaz Castro, Institutional Relations and Advocacy Manager, Secretary of ICLEI South America
Session flow

Welcome & introduction 

  •  Rodrigo Perpetuo, Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America

Leaders dialogue:  Integrated sustainable policies in Amazon

  • Edmilson Rodrigues, Mayor of Belém, Brazil
  • Ana Lucia Reis, Mayor of Cobija, Bolivia
  • Janet Yvone C. Vasquez, Mayor of Coronel Portillo, Pucallpa
  • German Vladimir Chong, Governor, Provincial Municipality of Maynas, Peru

Leaders dialogue: Cities approach  

  • Ana Lucia Reis, Mayor of Cobija, Bolivia 
  • Edmilson Rodrigues, Mayor of Belém 

Funding for adaptation policies in Amazon cities and territories 

  • Ana Costa, Superintendent of the Social Development and Public Management Area of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) – video message
  • Hélinah Cardoso, Director of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, GCoM

Keynote: Voices of the Forest – The  Perspective in Environmental Action

  • Maria Cecília Zenezokemaero, Brazilian Environmental Activist

Wrap up and closing remarks 

  • Vanessa Grazziotin, Executive Director of Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, OTCA