Floodplain agriculture, infrastructure, and community activities in the communities of Claverito and Bélen support a diversity of plants and animals in the urban floodplain ecosystem.

To support the new development of Nuevo Bélen, a large tract of the fragile white sand rainforest ecosystem had to be removed. Many white-sand rainforests are ancient - more than 100 million years old.

Claverito floats on logs that rest on the ground in the low river season.

Bélen is predominantly built on stilts that raise the community above the high water level.

Nuevo Belén is the first relocation development created by the Ministry of Housing in 2016, located an hour bus ride from downtown Iquitos and the river floodplain. To date, 397 of the planned 2512 houses have been built.