# Toward More Sustainable River Transportation in Remote Regions of the Amazon, Brazil
## 3 Challenges in the Amazon Region: The Case of School Transport  
To explore alternatives that improve river transport using small boats in remote regions, the boats used for school transport in small riverine communities of the Brazilian Amazon were considered in this work. In these regions, river vessels are the main means of transport for passengers and cargo. However, the complexity of these waterways, due to their extension and interaction with preserved areas, makes transportation here a daily challenge. Many routes are unmarked. Figure 3 shows some of the river systems in the state of Amazonas, where many students who live in outlying areas use boats to travel to schools in the bigger communities, such as Manaus and Manaquiri.  
Overall, it is estimated that in the north of Brazil, around 300,000 students use river transport to travel to school [53]. The Secretary of Education for the city of Manaus ([PERSON]) has identified several rural schools that use river transport [54]: 20 on the river Amazon  
Figure 3: Example of the complexity of the fluvial system around the municipalities of Manaus and Manaquiri, Amazonas State, Brazil. Adapted from Google Maps.  
Figure 2: Possible gains in resistance reduction through permanent modifications of the hull, considering that the main dimensions of the vessel and the propeller diameter are unchanged. Modified from [32].  
and 29 on the river Negro. Students may pass up to 3 h, twice a day, to travel to and from their school by boat [55], as in the remote communities of the municipality of Manaquiri, on the Amazon, for example, as shown in (Figure 4) [53].  
To overcome the challenges of school transportation, the National Fund for the Development of Education (FNDE) has provided resources for the development of school boats via the Caminhos da Escola (School Paths) program [56]. This initiative aims to offer faster, safer transportation for those using river transport to reach their classrooms. Figure 5 illustrates activities on the rivers related to school transport in the Amazon, Brazil. Figure 5a shows a type of boat widely used for school transport several years ago that is still used for school transport in some regions. Figure 5b,c show the school boats promoted by the local government, and in Figure 5d, these boats are seen at a station in the port of Manaus. Figure 5d shows a school boat performing daily activities in riverine communities. In Figure 5f, a school in Tapaua is presented, and finally, Figure 5g shows a different type of boat used for transporting people in remote regions of the state.  
Figure 4: An example of a municipality in Amazonas State where river transport is necessary for education. (**a**) Location of Manaquiri municipality with respect to Manaus, the capital of Amazonas State. (**b**) Location of the main schools around Manaquiri. Adapted from Google Maps.  
Figure 5: School transport in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. (**a**) An old boat used to transport children to school about ten years ago ([PERSON] 2020). (**b**) Front view of an Amazon school boat promoted by the government in  
Manaus, Amazonas ([PERSON] 2020). (**c**) Profile view of the Amazon school boat in Itacoatiara, Amazonas ([PERSON] 2013). (**d**) School boat station in the port of Manaus, Amazonas ([PERSON] and [PERSON] 2020). (**e**) A school boat performing its daily activities in a remote community on the Amazon (modified from [57]). (**f**) A typical school in the municipality of Tapaau, Amazonas ([PERSON] 2013). (**g**) A typical boat used for transporting people between remote communities in the state ([PERSON] 2013).