Virgilio Viana

Virgilio Viana serves as Superintendent-General of the Fundação Amazônia Sustentável (FAS) since 2008, where he leads one of Brazil's largest NGOs dedicated to Amazon conservation and sustainable development. Born in Belo Horizonte, his academic credentials include a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University, post-doctoral work in Sustainable Development from the University of Florida, and a forestry degree from ESALQ/USP where he later became a professor. His distinguished career includes serving as Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of Amazonas State from 2002 to 2008, where he achieved remarkable results including a 66% reduction in deforestation and the creation of 12 million hectares of conservation units. Under his leadership at FAS, he has implemented one of the world's largest payment for ecosystem services programs, benefiting over 570 communities and 9,000 families across 10 million hectares of Amazon rainforest. His expertise has been recognized through numerous appointments, including co-chair of Forests, Biodiversity and Environmental Services at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, member of the Lancet Commission on COVID-19, and member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. His work has earned multiple accolades, including the UNESCO 2019 Prize on Education for Sustainable Development and the Calouste Gulbenkian Prize in 2016, while his research has been cited over 1,100 times in academic publications.