Brazil's peripheral communities lead grassroots climate and environmental action

• Community-led collectives in the São Paulo metropolitan region are mitigating climate impacts through urban agriculture, waste management, and educational initiatives.
• Projects convert former dump sites into food-producing gardens and implement composting systems to foster environmental literacy.
• Efforts aim to combat deforestation, irregular construction, and water source pollution while providing sustainable food access.

Urban Agriculture and Waste Management

• Coletivo das Marias (Jardim Lapena): Transformed an illegal dump into a community garden supplying 72 families with agroecological produce and managing organic waste through composting.
• Bike Horta Partnership: Uses bicycles to collect food scraps from families and schools for the composting system.
• Varre Vila (Santa Inês): Promotes neighborhood-wide cleanliness through community-maintained waste bins, successfully improving flood resilience by preventing trash buildup in drains.

Water Conservation and Advocacy

• SEAE (Ecological Society of Embu): Advocates for the preservation of Water Source Protection Areas within the Atlantic Forest region.
• Watching the Rivers: An initiative assessing waterway health in collaboration with SOS Atlantic Forest; reports indicate high pollution levels in the Guarapiranga Basin.
• Conecta Cotia-Guarapiranga: A digital mapping tool designed to monitor natural resources and support environmental conservation planning.

Environmental Education and Youth Engagement

• Preservar Ambiental: Operates the 'Conexão Natureza' project in four state schools, teaching students about sanitation, climate change, and waste management.
• Pimentas Community Course (Guarulhos): Engages 130 young people in hands-on activities including gardening, native bee conservation, and recycling. Proceeds from recycled material sales support students' university education.