Eco-tourism may save the rainforest

An article from The Economist about how a for-profit venture between Rainforest Expeditions and a group of native families in the region of Madre de Dios has succeeded in using tourism to foster conservation could be key in order to save vast areas of the Amazon forest.

Rainforest Expeditions is the biggest tourism operator in the region; they run the Posada Amazonas, a lodge by the Tambopata River within the 2,000 hectares owned by the 148-family community of Infierno. The 20 year joint venture begun in 1996 and meant that the community share the decision-making through an elected “control committee” and receive 60% of the profits –totaling US$130,000 last year. Rainforest Expeditions is training the members of the community so that they can take over the whole operation by 2016.

The benefits from the agreement are already improving the life of the community in such areas as literacy, nutrition and healthcare, while the surrounded rainforest remains unspoiled. This business approach has achieved what neither the government nor any NGO had in terms of conservation and social development of the Amazon rainforest and its native population.