Amapa, one of the
poorest states of Brazil, has
won plaudits for its development model. Spearheading
the change is Joao Alberto
Capiberibe, a former guerrilla who is now governor of
the state. Capiberibe's commitment to sustainable development has been described
by the environmental group,
Friends of the Earth as
"unprecedented and unique." Summing up his philosophy, Capiberibe says: "I
started from a very simple
diagnosis. Our natural resources are disappearing, and
unless we do something
about that, we will be left in a
situation of eternal poverty."
Amapa has reason to be
fiercely possessive about its
natural resources. Its isolation has slowed the rate of
destruction caused by migration and deforestation common in the Amazon basin.
To further safeguard these
resources, Capiberibe plans
to give a boost to projects
such as tourism, fishing and
mining to provide jobs and
income for the local people
who might otherwise invade
protected areas of natural
and indigenous reserves.
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