Sarah Brown

Rio de Janeiro

Journalist at Freelance

Environmental journalist. Bylines @MongabayOrg, @BBC and others.

Articles

Jaguar recovery unites Brazil and Argentina in conservation effort

2 weeks ago | news.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

Once on the brink of local extinction, jaguar numbers across the Brazil-Argentina Iguaçu-Iguazú border have more than doubled since 2010 thanks to coordinated conservation efforts. The cross-border collaboration between groups in both countries has been crucial to restoring jaguar populations across the Atlantic Forest Green Corridor.
Uso excessivo de água subterrânea ameaça o fluxo dos rios no Brasil, aponta estudo

1 month ago | brasil.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown |Rhett Butler

Estudo recente revela o risco de que a água dos rios possa ser absorvida pelo subsolo devido à intensa extração de água subterrânea no Brasil — o que pode resultar em perdas significativas no fluxo fluvial. Pesquisadores identificaram uma correlação entre o uso de águas subterrâneas e a redução do fluxo fluvial, especialmente em áreas de terra firme.
Traditional bug oil finds modern value through new research in the Amazon

1 month ago | news.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

Oil made from beetle larvae is used as a traditional remedy in Brazil’s Marajó Archipelago, and is gaining scientific recognition for its medicinal and economic potential. Researchers are analyzing the bug oil’s bioactive properties, aiming to validate its safety and expand its promising applications in medicine, cosmetics and biotechnology.
Groundwater overuse puts Brazil’s river flow at risk, study finds

2 months ago | news.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

A recent study reveals the potential risk of river water flowing underground in Brazil due to high groundwater extraction, which could lead to losses in streamflow. Researchers found a correlation between groundwater use and river flow reductions, particularly in dryland areas. Overexploitation of groundwater could severely affect Brazil’s agriculture, energy production, and ecosystems, with illegal and unregistered wells likely contributing to the problem.
Ambitious conservation projects pave the way for Argentina’s jaguar recovery

Mar 25, 2025 | news.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

A young jaguar that conservationists have named Tañhi Wuk has become the third male to be collared and released into Argentina’s El Impenetrable National Park as part of efforts to protect the species. Collaring jaguars provides vital tracking data that help in conserving their populations and preventing poaching, while also promoting coexistence with local communities through education.
Endemic fish wiped out in Brazilian Amazon hydroelectric dam area, study finds

Feb 24, 2025 | news.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

The construction of the Balbina hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon led to the loss of seven endemic fish species in the Uatumã River, researchers have found. The hydroelectric dam has transformed the Uatumã River’s fast-flowing habitats into static environments, making them unsuitable for certain fish species. Researchers call for the investigation of unaffected tributaries, such as the Jatapu River, as possible refuges for the missing species and future conservation efforts.
Lula pushes oil drilling at mouth of Amazon despite climate risks

Feb 21, 2025 | news.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

Despite his climate leadership stance ahead of COP30, Brazilian President Lula da Silva is pushing to approve oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon. Lula argues that oil revenues will fund Brazil’s energy transition. Critics say this is a flawed justification for expanding oil extraction under the guise of financing climate solutions.
El ave que desafía a la extinción: periquito dorado regresa a los cielos de Belem en la Amazonía brasileña

Feb 8, 2025 | es.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown

El periquito dorado (Guaruba guarouba), muy codiciado en el mercado negro de mascotas por su llamativo plumaje amarillo, está en peligro de extinción en la Amazonía brasileña. Después de haber estado localmente extinto durante un siglo en Belém, ciudad anfitriona de la COP30 que se celebrará en noviembre, está siendo reintroducido por conservacionistas que, hasta ahora, han liberado 50 individuos en la naturaleza desde 2018.
REDD+ doesn’t work without Indigenous peoples, but fails to engage them: report

Oct 28, 2024 | eco-business.com | Sarah BRown |Sarah Brown

The United Nations framework for reducing emissions by protecting forests in less-industrialised countries, known as REDD+, isn’t doing enough to prioritise Indigenous peoples in the Amazon. That’s the finding from a new study, which proposes a dozen principles for giving local and traditional communities, the long-standing stewards of those very forests, more decision-making power within REDD+.
Pesquisadores dos Pampas tentam salvar um dos felinos mais raros do mundo

Oct 25, 2024 | brasil.mongabay.com | Sarah Brown |Rhett Butler

O gato-palheiro-pampeano é um pequeno felino endêmico dos Pampas, que se estendem pelo sul do Brasil, Uruguai e nordeste da Argentina. Com menos de 100 indivíduos na natureza, os especialistas consideram a espécie um dos felinos mais ameaçados do mundo e alertam que ele será extinto dentro de dez anos, já que seu habitat natural está sendo desmatado para cultivo agrícola.