Strengthening Amazon Biodiversity Conservation through Expanded Research Networks

In 2025, significant strides have been made in enhancing biodiversity research across the Amazon, highlighted by the ongoing efforts to expand collaborative networks and improve scientific infrastructure. A recent study underscores that, despite progress since 2008 with the establishment of National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCTs), disparities remain, particularly in resource allocation. While the Southeast houses 191 funded networks, the Amazon-rich North has only 21, highlighting ongoing regional inequalities affecting critical biodiversity and climate research. The study also reveals gender disparities, noting only 25% of INCT coordinators are women, dropping to 20% in biodiversity networks.

The INCT-SinBiAm, created in 2023, plays a central role in consolidating knowledge on Amazonian biodiversity, integrating data from forest, aquatic, and terrestrial environments. It supports conservation efforts through the TAOCA database, which leverages machine learning to validate comprehensive species records accessible for policymakers. Collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and local communities is emphasized as vital for protecting biodiversity and improving regional well-being.

Complementing these initiatives, the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam) joined the INCT Biofábricas in December 2025, an enterprise led by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Focused on biotechnological innovation tied to biofactories and circular economy principles, this partnership aims to foster sustainable regional development through technological advances, funding of R$13 million, and the involvement of 45 researchers. Plans include a biomolecule production unit and stimulating startup creation, enhancing the bioindustrial landscape in Amazonas.

These developments set the stage for intensified research collaboration and biodiversity conservation efforts, particularly as the spotlight turns to Belém during COP 30 in 2025. Continued support and sustainable funding are critical to sustaining these gains and bridging historical research gaps in the Amazon region.