Science leaders: Brazil can become an environmental world power

The meeting, which ran until 17th July, opened with the theme Amazon: Science and Culture and involved 175 conferences, symposiums, round-tables, workgroups, meetings and special sessions, as well as the presentation of scientific studies and mini-courses.

"As an environmental power, we could solve two important issues: the first is the economic independence of the populations of the Amazon, and the other is that we would make it clear to the world that we can live with, know and look after the Amazon", said Raupp.

The statement comes as Brazilian scientific community started a mobilization of research on applied uses of its biodiversty.

Three weeks before the meeting, the 25 scientific societies associated to SBPC handed to Brazil's Minister of Science and Technology, Sérgio Rezende, a document with suggestions to speed up the progress of science in Brazil. One of these suggestions is to allow access to research and the use of Brazilian biodiversity.

The state of Amazonas, located in the Amazon forest region in northern Brazil, is one of leaders in this research.

Since 2003, the state government of Amazonas has been implementing a new science and technology policy, investing R$1.2bn (US$658 million), placing Amazonas only behind the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.

The State Governor, Eduardo Braga, received from SBPC the "Governor Friend of the Sciences" medal for this policy. The medal is given to administrators who excel in their efforts in the development of science, technology and innovation.

"When we started to set up a science and technology system in Amazonas in 2003 we thought about preparing the state for the future and investing in knowledge", said Braga in his acceptance speech. "We believed that Amazonas could not always go around begging with bowl in hand, asking for crumbs from the south and the south east of Brazil. We want to be in control of our own destiny, our own culture and our own scientific knowledge".

Among the events at the 61st meeting were the presentation of the scientific work of secondary school and undergraduate students who were selected for the Young Scientist Prize. These students developed scientific activities throughout 2008 and during the meeting they had the opportunity to show their work and to establish contact with renowned researchers.

* This story was originally published in Portuguese by Revista Sustentabilidade on 14/07/2009