A clean energy powered regional boat operating in the várzea forest biome. It will provide the Amazon traditional communities with access to: basic health care, education, essential everyday life products, sustainable technology, improve their production and upgrade the value chain.
CAUSE AND IMPACT
This initiative will directly attend over 500 Amazon tradicional families of agroextrativists (aprox. 3000 people), living in single houses or grouped in small agglomerations usually in a distance of few hundret meters to few kilometers between each other.
It will protect over 90.000 hectares of native forest and 30.000 of agroforest (together 300.000 acres or 20 times size of Manhattan).
LOCATION
The world's biggest river island - Marajó and other islands in the Amazon Estuary, where is the greatest biodiversity on Earth. Brazilian State Pará (see map below).
So called várzea is a periodically flooded Amazonian rainforest, where Atlantic Ocean tides mix with the Amazon River waters. Local people live there in stilts houses build by the rivers banks, in the middle of the native, wild jungle, in a distance between a half day away and one day away by the boat from the nearest town. Rivers here are making function of roads and highways. Surprisingly they don't have any source and are connecting together in a form of labyrinth of thousands of canals. Local communities existence depends on fishing and on the standing forest production: nuts, fruits and berries. Unfortunately most of them have no access to medical care or education system, no running water or illumination at night. This is a region with the lowest Human Development Index ( HDI) in Brazil and at the same time with the best preserved nature.
Typical house of várzea forest on the Marajó island. Brazil. Pará State. Fot. by author
Solar powered boat in service will bring direct benefits to the to people that harvest and protect the richest in biodiversity place on Earth. It will cause positive environmental impact by improving their health, security, education and well being in general by preserving traditional way of living and culture.
Indirectly it will affect the rest of world and global human population by preserving the Amazon Forest, so it can continue regulate the world's oxygen, carbon and water cycles and stabilize the climate on our planet for yourself and generations to come.
PROJECT DETAILS
SOLAR BOAT CREW: 7
Captain,
2 crew member,
1 doctor / nurse,
2 workers at: a grocery store, pharmacy and the kitchen,
1 educator,
1 bio industry machine operator.
COMPARTMENTS
Distribution of the rooms and its function.
P0. Warehouse (Basement) up to 10t.
Stock for the agro extractivism products. Transport and distribution.
P1A. Bio industry (a room with machines) 5m
Processing of agro extractivism products. Açaí mixer.
P1B. Grocery store + Pharmacy (room with fridge / freezer, closet and desk) 4m
Essential products for sale and exchange.
P1C. Basic medical care (room with AC) 4m
Volunteer doctor and nurse. Medical equipment. Telehealth modality.
P2A. A kitchen: 2m, 4 bedrooms: 2x2m + 2x2m (two sides) 4m, bathroom: 2m
7 beds for fixed crew.
P2B. Education room (half open), 1 spare room, TV, computer, (space without walls) 7m,
photovoltaic roof cover (12x5m)
Courses and education on board: 7x5m. Satelite Wi-Fi.
Roof generating energy, 60m² : 30 panels.
Room for visitors.
+ Integrated small speed boat with electric engine.
5m long speed boat
THE TEAM
Group of people concerned about the environment and passionate about the technology got together to cause a global impact through the local change. Project coordinator, Zbigniew Kozak, since 2016 is frequently visiting traditional Amazon communities to identify the biggest and most urgent needs and challenges. He partners with the Muiraquitã Team - academics and students from various fields of Engineering: mechanics, electrical, computing, civil, among others.
Muiraquitã Project came to light in 2016, when students of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), came together to develop a sustainable boat, powered by clean energy, to participate in the competition 'Desafio Solar Brasil'. This challenge is a rally of boats powered by solar energy that aims to stimulate the development of clean technologies and promote the sources of alternative energy among the population. “It is our obligation to nature to seek sustainable ways that do not harm the environment”, explains Micilene Bastos, Muiraquitã Team leader.
Through the SOLAR POWERED BOAT Project, they intend to take the solar energy technology to the traditional riverside communities in the Marajó region and raise their quality of living helping to preserve the environment.
