The Anavilhanas Archipelago, located in the Brazilian Amazon in the municipality of Novo Airão, in Amazonas state, is one of the largest concentrations of river islands in the world. There are more than 400 islands, along with streams and lagoons that form a unique landscape shaped by the rhythm of the Rio Negro, whose water levels rise and fall throughout the year, completely transforming the scenery.
It is within this dynamic environment of rare beauty that our reporting team produced a special feature in celebration of World Water Day. The content highlights the importance of rivers and streams for environmental balance, the conservation of Amazonian biodiversity, and the essential role of water in the lives of riverine communities.
An immersion into one of the Amazon’s most emblematic landscapes, reinforcing the urgency of preserving natural resources.
Interviews:
WILSON OLIVEIRA, riverine resident of Tiririca Community – Novo Airão
ERLEN AGUIAR, tour guide
Ms. ISABELLE, riverine resident of Tiririca Community – Novo Airão
Executive Production:
LUCIANA TÔRRES
Post-production and Finalization:
ALEXANDRE ALMEIDA
Production:
AMAZON AGENCY
DURATION: 07:16
AUDIO TRACK – OPENING
“We have this privilege of looking at this river, of seeing this nature. For us, many people may not believe it, but we feel happy, and those of us who live here truly admire our nature. And I think, if we feel this way, imagine people who come from outside — they must enjoy it too.”
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“For many, the river may be just a river. For me, it’s part of my story.
Because I grew up near a river, I learned to slow down, to listen, to respect nature.”
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“It’s wonderful to wake up and contemplate this wealth of water we have, this richness of forest we have. For us, it is an honor.”
TRANSITION (FADE)
Wilson Oliveira, riverine resident – Tiririca Community, Novo Airão
“I was born and raised here in the Tiririca community, in the municipality of Novo Airão, a riverine community. Today it is an RDS (Sustainable Development Reserve), where 37 people live — 15 families.
And I feel proud to live here. Even more so now that things have changed, as we now work with community-based tourism. We are happy to welcome you to our community.”
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“Before, we worked with extractivism — logging and fishing.
Now things have changed, and we have other sources of income, such as a restaurant and handicrafts.”
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“The river affects us during the dry season, from September onward. There are many beaches, so it’s high season. This month, because of tourism, our restaurant gets very busy.
That’s good for us. It even makes the place more beautiful, with the beaches. Tourists like it, and we receive many visitors during the low-water season.”
Erlen Aguiar, tour guide
“Working with tourism, I even joke with people — I never imagined I would make money from this. To work with it and bring income home.
Because for me, this was already part of my daily life. I lived in the flooded forest, swimming, seeing river dolphins every day. And now I work with this and see how excited and surprised people get.
I joke with them — ‘If I had known you liked dolphins so much, I would have brought some from my region.’ Because there are many there too.
I was born along the Juruá River, in a town called Itamaraty. It’s very far from here — about four to five days by boat from Manaus.”
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Ms. Isabelle, riverine resident – Tiririca Community, Novo Airão
“I was born and raised here. For me, it’s a pleasure to be a riverine cabocla. I’m not ashamed of it.
I’m grateful to God and to all of you who are here with us. And it’s wonderful to see so much water. There are people out there who don’t have any — who pray for rain just to collect water. And we have such abundance here.”
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“We see caimans passing by, dolphins surfacing — we see all that.
It’s really amazing.”
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“Everyone who lives here does so because they want to. No one is forced to live here. People come from other communities to live with us because we are welcoming.”
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Wilson Oliveira
“This period is slower — we have fewer visitors. From July onward it improves as the river rises.
But it should be much higher by now. The water level is rising slowly, not as it used to. When it’s higher, the flooded forest expands, and the beaches disappear.”
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Erlen Aguiar
“Here we depend heavily on nature. In Novo Airão, we often say this is an ecological paradise.
Tourism here is relatively new. It’s been about two and a half to three years since we started operating structured itineraries, and it has improved a lot — a lot indeed.
To give you an idea, Embratur — the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion — traveled across the country last year to assess what was happening in the sector. After that, it selected 101 destinations under the ‘Feel Brasil’ program.
In the North, only one place was included: right here in Novo Airão, in the Makuitá Indigenous community.
We have a deep affection for this place.”
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Ms. Isabelle
“I love it here so much. When I go visit my daughter in Manaus, I already want to come back.
She asks me, ‘Mom, are you already going back?’ And at home, it’s just me and God.
For us, it’s wonderful — to wake up, breathe this clean air, free of pollution. I wouldn’t leave here unless it were in a coffin.
I’m happy. I love living here.”
Wilson Oliveira
“The city is very hectic. Here, we definitely benefit from this way of life.
Our children grow up differently, without that agitation. This peace makes us calm. We get used to it.
For me, our nature is perfect. Water is essential to us — our access is through the river. It is vital.”
Erlen Aguiar
“Sharing this feeling, even though it’s routine for us, is rewarding. Because you see how surprised people are.
It’s the opposite of what they’re used to. People come from the south, from São Paulo — and it’s completely different from anything they’ve seen.
That makes me very, very happy.”
FINAL AUDIO TRACK
Amazon Agency