Transport - Amazon Rainforest - Sustainable Development on the Rio Jauaperi

The Xixuau Xiparina area is only accessible by river. There are no scheduled boat
services up the River Jauperi and only sporadic services from the mouth of the river down the Rio Negro
to Manaus. As a consequence the area has historically been inaccessible. Whilst this remoteness has
contributed to the area’s continued pristine environment, it has also hindered its social and economic
development.
To address this situation, in 2001 the AA bought its own river boat, the Certeza, with the help of the
Guardie Ecologiche Volontarie (GEV) of Modena, Italy and the Kleinwort Charitable Trust. The boat
provides a means of transportation to and from Manaus for the produce of the local people and for the
eco-tourism project. GEV also donated an outboard-engined boat for the AA nurse to use along the
river.

In 2002 the AA purchased river boats for two Jauperi communities with the financial help of the Italian
Trade Union CGIL of Lombardy. These boats have already saved a number of lives of people suffering
from tuberculosis, breached births and malaria. They have also been used for transporting agricultural
produce directly and swiftly to the market in Manaus, reducing the risk of the produce rotting and so
helping to obtain higher prices.