The Second Amazon Waters Week brought together specialists, authorities, civil society organizations, fishing communities, and other actors from the Amazon Basin in Iquitos to share knowledge, strengthen regional cooperation, and define joint actions for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Over four days of work, the event promoted the exchange of experiences and reaffirmed the commitment of its partners to a more connected and resilient Amazon.
Participants in the Second Amazon Waters Week. Photo: © Kevin Hemer / WCS
From July 6 to 9, 82 participants from more than 30 partner organizations of the Amazon Waters Alliance, representing Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, France, and Peru, participated in reflection spaces, collaborative work sessions, and exchanges linked to the Alliance’s strategic priorities for the conservation of Amazon aquatic ecosystems.
During the Week, Alliance partners shared progress, reviewed ongoing initiatives, and identified opportunities to strengthen collaboration among organizations.
The working sessions focused on the Alliance’s strategic priorities, including participatory fisheries monitoring, citizen science, the connectivity of aquatic ecosystems and the development of an index to monitor their condition, as well as the development of a data infrastructure for fisheries monitoring, knowledge exchange, communications, and policy engagement for conservation.
These sessions enabled participants to share lessons learned, discuss progress, and recognize the diverse capacities that partner organizations contribute from different areas, including scientific research, territorial work, community participation, and the generation of information to support decision-making.
Exchange among Alliance partners. Photo: © Kevin Hemer / WCS
A dialogue on the challenges facing the Amazon Basin
The Week began with a dialogue on the Amazon Basin and its challenges, bringing together more than 140 specialists and representatives from different sectors and over 70 organizations to discuss on the challenges facing the region and the importance of strengthening cooperation for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems.
The space allowed participants to share different perspectives on basin management, available information, the role of scientific and local knowledge, and the need to promote coordinated actions to address the challenges facing the Amazon.
A fair showcasing partners’ work
As part of the program, the Week included a public fair where Amazon Waters Alliance partner organizations shared their initiatives, progress, tools, and results developed across different territories of the Amazon Basin.
The fair provided an opportunity to learn about partners’ work on fisheries monitoring, citizen science, research, knowledge generation, and initiatives for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. It also created a space for exchanging knowledge, good practices, and lessons learned among organizations and participants.
A step toward implementing the Action Plan for the Conservation of Amazonian Migratory Catfishes
As part of the Week’s agenda, government delegates from Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru held working meetings to advance the implementation of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Amazonian Migratory Catfishes, approved in March 2026 during COP15 of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
During these meetings, representatives from the four countries advanced a proposal for a regional governance structure to guide the implementation of the Action Plan. This progress represents an important step toward strengthening coordination among countries and promoting joint actions for the conservation of these species and the connectivity of Amazon rivers.
Next steps
Vanessa Rodríguez, President of the Board of Directors of the Amazon Waters Alliance, highlighted that the Week strengthened collaboration among partners and helped continue building spaces for regional cooperation.
As a result of the meeting, the Alliance will continue supporting the work of its partners and technical groups, promoting knowledge exchange and developing initiatives on research, monitoring, citizen science, data infrastructure, and advocacy aimed at conserving Amazon aquatic ecosystems.
Partners and fishermen in a working group. Photo: © Kevin Hemer / WCS.