IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Presidente
Instituto Terra Brasilis
Rua Rio Grande do Norte, 1.560 Conj. 405
Bairro Funcionários
Belo Horizonte
MG 30130-131
Brazil
Tel: ++55 (31) 3225-0414
Fax: ++55 (31) 3225-0414
Email: mailto:rigueira@terrabrasilis.org.br

Brazil is a large country with a federal government system and hundreds of protected areas. From urban to remote areas, there are different categories and conditions, but always great challenges. Improving data collection and information distribution is a key to more effective lobbying for protected areas and more capable managers. IUCN members' demands for more IUCN action on protected areas and the need for more dynamism of WCPA in Brazil lead to the creation of the WCPA "Brazil region" in mid 1998. We are working to build more support for Brazil's protected areas, including better relationships with the rest of the world. But, more than having Brazilian experts better connected, Brazil has hundreds of managers acting to be better informed and participate.There is a WCPA-Brazil Web page (http://iucn.org/places/sur/ - search for "comisiones" and "CMAP-Brasil"). It is in Portuguese, in the IUCN South America (a Spanish language) Web site.

Protected areas in Brazil lack adequate support, both from inside and abroad. Specifically they lack adequate financial and human resources. The WCPA Brazil Region works on the important issues addressed by the global commission. The need for good representation, both in terms of biomes and regions, from one side, and of themes and social interests, from the other side, form the basis of our actions.

Acknowledgements
We thank the São Paulo Forest Foundation, the Secretariat of Environment of São Paulo State, IUCN-SUR and the IUCN Brazilian Members Committee for supporting our work.