Chela Carrera

Brazilian environmentalist who created Latin America's first national park system

Chela Carrera (1925-1998) was a trailblazing Brazilian environmentalist whose work laid the foundation for modern conservation in Latin America. In the 1950s, she spearheaded the creation of the Iguaçu National Park, becoming the continent's first female director of a protected area. Her innovative ICMBio policies balanced ecological preservation with community development, establishing models still used today. Carrera's visionary 1963 report led to Brazil's first comprehensive environmental legislation, protecting over 10 million hectares of Amazon rainforest. She pioneered eco-tourism concepts that provided sustainable income for indigenous communities, earning her a UNEP Global 500 Award in 1988. Her memoir 《Chela's Green Dream》 remains a key text in environmental studies.