PLAN PERUANO - BRASILEÑO

Background and Objectives

The Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed on October 16, 1979, by the governments of Peru and Brazil concerning the Amazonian Region provides that “both parties give the highest priority to the fulfillment of commitments related to this region”. Moreover, it states the interest of harmonizing actions in bilateral fields within the framework of the Amazonian Cooperation Treaty. Later, on July 3, 1987, the Presidents of Peru and Brazil signed the Rio Branco Declaration, in which they express their decision to intensify efforts to energize the process of subregional cooperation. The Puerto Maldonado Action Program, which follows the guidelines in that Declaration, lays the bases for the program.

In fulfillment of the mandate of both Presidents, the ministers of foreign affairs of Peru and Brazil requested assistance and support from the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) for the execution of the binational program. GS/OAS collaborated in preparing the project document and terms of reference for the “Development Program for the Peruvian-Brazilian Border Communities”, and assisted both countries throughout project execution. Support from the GS/OAS was provided by the Department of Regional Development and Environment (now Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment), through the Plurinational Project for Amazon Cooperation.

In accordance with the policies, and strategies contained in the Amazonian development plans of both countries, the general objectives established for the binational development program were the following:

a) Improvement of living standards by generating productive activities and sources of work compatible with the aspirations of the inhabitants, the natural resources, and the general ecological conditions of the area;

b) Determination of the proper use of natural resources for sustainable development purposes in order to consolidate current settlement and orient future communities so as to ensure their ecological balance;

c) Binational integration of the area with the rest of their countries in terms of communications and of political, cultural, social, and economic interaction, to expedite development;

d) Total incorporation of Peruvian and Brazilian economic and productive activities by means of the rational exploitation of their natural resources and encouraging the effective settlement of border areas;

e) Sustained long-term land settlement based on production patterns, which takes into account the ecological situation of the Amazon and has the active participation in the development process of the current populations of the region within a framework of integrated regional development.

The total area of the Development Program of Peruvian-Brazilian Border Communities, Assis Brazil/Iñapari, is nearly 10,200 sq. km², of which 4,377 km² (43%) belongs to Brazil and the rest to Peru. The Brazilian area consists of the entire municipality of Assis Brazil, in southeastern Acre State, between the left bank of the Acre River and the tight bank of the Yaco. The Peruvian section is in Tahuamanu Province of Madre de Dios Department and comprises the districts of Iñapari, Iberia, and Tahuamanu, which constitute 74% of the department, with an estimated population of 7,652 in 1995. The 1995 data show an estimated population of 10,656 in Assis Brazil municipality.

In geomorphological terms, the project area is quite uniform and similar in both countries, and results from the interaction of tectonic, climatic, and erosive factors that have shaped its surface. The climate is hot and tropical, seasonally humid, with abundant rains and a short dry season.

The hydrographic system of the project is represented by three main rivers: the Tahuamanu, the Acre, and the Yaco, which flow from west to east and receive a large number of minor streams; their volume is considerable, especially in the rainy seasons, which makes them navigable with some restrictions..

REPUBLICA DEL PERU - REPUBLICA FEDERAL DE BRASIL - Físico-Hidrológico (227 KB)

The vegetation consists of dense, characteristically tropical forests. Edaphologically, the zone is quite uniform and the soils have been categorized at the level of large groups. Agricultural potential of the program area has been classified according to its capacity on the use of lands. 66.9% is reserved for conservation/preservation, and 33.1% for carrying out the Development Program for Peruvian-Brazilian Border Communities.

According to research on fishery resources in the State of Acre, there are breeding areas for several species, including wetlands, marshes, lakes, and ponds. The development of fish farming in the program area is rudimentary, and no up-to-date studies of the local freshwater exist.

Communications in the study area are primitive. They consist of roads, highways under construction or trails passable only in the dry season; river transportation is hampered by unnavigable stretches and variations in the depths of the rivers. Air transportation is irregular, and its high costs, put it out of reach on the population.

The problems resulting from a lack of health services are extremely serious, related as they are to social and economic conditions.

Educational problems in the program area are a lack of trained personnel; school drop out; irregularities in the provision of school lunches; lack of school infrastructure, with defective buildings and shortages of furniture and equipment; a lack of incentives to retain teachers in the area; difficulties of access to rural areas, and a school calendar ill adapted to the seasons.

The development of the border zones is aimed at consolidating the physical, economic, social, political, and cultural integration of each of the countries by ensuring a balanced distribution of the population and the effective settlement of border territory, respecting the native communities living there, and planning future communities within the framework of the Development Program for Peruvian-Brazilian Border Communities.

Projects in the Plan

Based on the strategic guidelines, and in accordance with the results of the diagnostic studies executed during the first phase of the project, a program of action was identified and later approved to help alleviate the main problems and limitations of the binational area. It is composed of 32 projects in the areas of production development, social development, the environment, indigenous communities and urban development. Of these projects 12 are national projects of Brazil, 13 are national projects of Peru, and seven are binational in scope. The binational projects included in the “Development Program for the Brazilian-Peruvian Border Communities” are the following:

· Exploitation of Forest Resources
· Development of Fishing
· Health Improvements
· Environmental Zoning
· Environmental Education
· Management of the Binational Program
· Improvement of the San Lorenzo - Brasilea Road Interconnection
· Integral Sanitation

(Miles de Dólares Americanos)

PROGRAMA	SUB PROGRAMA	PROYECTOS	COSTOS	TOTAL	FINANCIAMENTO
					APORTE COMUNIDAD	APORTE NACIÓN	RECURSOS EXTERNOS
MEDIO AMBIENTE	Acondicionamiento Ambiental	Educación Ambiental	Inversión	121.4	1.6	32.5	87.3
			Operativos	00	0.0	0.0	0.0
			Subtotal	121.4	1.6	32.5	87.3
		Zonificación Ambiental	Inversión	1,126.0	16.8	264.2	845.0
			Operativos	165.0	5.0	160.0	0.0
			Subtotal	1,291.0	21.8	424.2	845.0
	TOTAL PROGRAMA		Inversión	1,247.4	18.4	296.7	932.3
			Operativos	165.0	5.0	160.0	0.0
			Subtotal	1,412.4	23.4	456.7	932.3
DESARROLLO SOCIAL E INFRAESTRUCTURA	Infraestructura Económica	Interconexión Vial San Lorenzo Brasilea	Inversión	60,441.6	141.6	15,000.0	45,300.0
			Operativos	9,066.2	181.3	8,884.9	0.0
			Subtotal	69,507.8	322.9	23,884.9	45,300.0
	Salud	Desarrollo de Salud	Inversión	1,885.3	0.0	377.1	1,508.2
			Operativos	226.2	22.0	204.2	0.0
			Subtotal	2,111.5	22.0	581.3	1,508.2
		Saneamiento Ambiental	Inversión	5,542.8	110.0	1,552.9	3,879.9
			Operativos	831.0	0.0	831.0	0.0
			Subtotal	6,373.8	110.0	2,383.9	3,879.9
	TOTAL PROGRAMA		Inversión	67,869.7	251.6	16,930.0	50,688.1
			Operativos	10,123.4	203.3	9,920.1	0.0
			Subtotal	77,993.1	454.9	26,850.1	50,688.1
ACTIVIDADES PRODUCTIVAS	Consolidación Sector Agropecuario	Aprovechamiento de Recursos Forestales (I y II Etapa)	Inversión	3,736.0	373.2	1,120.8	2,242.0
			Operativos	18,497.1	185.0	18,312.1	0.0
			Subtotal	22,233.1	558.2	19,432.9	2,242.0
	Apoyo a la Producción	Desarrollo de la Pesca	Inversión	393.9	5.4	160.0	228.5
			Operativos	683.0	3.0	680.0	0.0
			Subtotal	1,076.9	8.4	840.0	228.5
	TOTAL PROGRAMA		Inversión	4,129.9	378.6	1,280.8	2,470.5
			Operativos	19,180.1	188.0	18,992.1	0.0
			Subtotal	23,310.0	566.6	20,272.9	2470.5
ORGANIZACION Y GESTION INSTITUCIONAL	Organización Institucional	Gestión	Inversión	240.0	0.0	60.0	180.0
			Operativos	19.2	0.0	19.2	0.0
			Subtotal	259.2	0.0	79.2	180.0
	TOTAL PROGRAMA		Inversión	240.0	0.0	60.0	180.0
			Operativos	19.2	0.0	19.2	0.0
			Subtotal	259.2	0.0	79.2	180.0
TOTAL PROGRAMAS			Inversión	73,487.0	648.6	18,567.5	54,270.9
			Operativos	29,487.7	396.3	29,091.4	0.0
			C. Total	102.974.7	1,044.9	47,658.9	54,270.9

La publicación de este documento ha sido posible gracias a los recursos financieros aportados por el Consejo Interamericano para el Desarrollo Integral de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (CIDI/OEA).

Las opiniones expresadas en el documento no son necesariamente las opiniones de la OEA, de sus órganos o de sus funcionarios.

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