Protecting Amazon's Indigenous lands: a multidisciplinary approach

Abstract

Within Indigenous territories in the Amazon—particularly in a >5 million square kilometer area collectively known as the Legal Amazon or Amazônia Legal, where more than half of the Brazilian Indigenous population resides—deforestation and wildfires pose major threats to biodiversity and the cultural survival of native peoples (Vieira and da Silva 2024). Illegal activities such as logging and mineral extraction, which are often driven by economic interests that disregard the legally guaranteed territorial rights of Indigenous communities, exacerbate these threats and thereby further adversely impact biodiversity and the cultural integrity of native peoples in the region. Environmental degradation not only impairs the traditional lifestyles of these communities but also intensifies global, regional, and local drivers contributing to climate change (Soares-Filho et al. 2010; Estrada et al. 2022).

Climate extremes in the Amazon have amplified in frequency and intensity, and the risks to Indigenous populations and environments have concurrently expanded. Given this complex picture of dynamic physical changes interacting with diverse social dimensions over time, forecasting the potentially exacerbated risk of climate-related disasters becomes an important scientific challenge (Antunes et al. 2016; de Souza et al. 2024). The region's vulnerability to extreme climatic conditions and human disturbances, such as deforestation and wildfires, remains poorly understood despite increased research efforts. This knowledge gap presents substantial risks, compounded by hydrological stress that disrupts plant physiological processes and regional climate dynamics. Of the wildfires that impacted Indigenous communities in Brazil from 2001 to 2023, 75% occurred within the states of Amazonas, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, and Pará, with corresponding increases in burned areas and deforestation rates of 75% and 45%, respectively, primarily between 2010 and 2020 (da Silva et al. 2023). In addition, a decline in rainfall during this 22-year period further impacted the Amazon's hydrological cycle, critical to maintaining continental climate stability (Nobre et al. 2016; Santos et al. 2024). Recent droughts have highlighted the system's fragility, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive assessments of its resilience to anthropogenic climate change to prevent or mitigate catastrophic losses of ecosystem services such as the provision of food and fresh water (Ottoni et al. 2023).

Addressing these challenges requires sophisticated and localized strategies that account for the Amazon's ecological heterogeneity. Immediate and coordinated governmental actions are crucial, particularly in collaboration with Indigenous territories. Establishing effective monitoring systems in partnership with Indigenous communities is imperative to fully comprehend the impacts of land-use and land-cover change on regional climate dynamics, as well as their hydroclimatic, ecological, and conservation implications for Indigenous populations. Data obtained from these monitoring systems should inform public policy in the Amazon. Implementing this collaborative governmental-Indigenous approach represents a delicate balance but is essential to tailor strategies to maintain forest health and climate stability.

At the August 2023 summit in Belém, representatives from the eight Amazonian countries—Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela—emphasized regional authorities’ commitment to environmental stewardship. Despite criticisms of its modest ambitions, the Belém Declaration established a vital framework for future efforts in conservation and sustainable development (Peña-Claros and Nobre 2023). Effective implementation of agreements like the one in Belém will require a detailed analysis and a clear strategic plan. The success of environmental preservation relies on sustained international support and collaboration, underscoring the importance of global interconnectedness in shaping regional policies. Furthermore, pooling efforts and financial resources from various countries could substantially boost funding for conservation activities in the Amazon. For example, the establishment of protected areas for biodiversity conservation and Indigenous land protection has been a principal strategy for controlling deforestation in the region. However, such protected areas remain largely unfunded and ill-protected, often failing to achieve their intended goals, as highlighted by da Silva et al. (2017), Pörtner et al. (2023), and Soares-Filho et al. (2023).

Enhancing collaborative efforts to manage deforestation and wildfires is crucial, as underscored by the inadequate discussions at the 2023 summit in Belém. A more thorough analysis of existing regional cooperation mechanisms, such as the intergovernmental Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) as well as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change's REDD+ initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, is imperative. Emphasizing strategic international and local capacity-building initiatives within these frameworks can enhance their effectiveness, reinforce their operational capacity, and help address the region's complicated challenges in environmental management (de Souza et al. 2024). Importantly, municipalities play a critical role in this context, as they are at the forefront of executing and monitoring these initiatives. Often, infractions and illegal activities originate within the municipalities where Indigenous territories and protected areas are located, making local governance a pivotal factor in the success of environmental protection efforts. Acknowledging and strengthening municipal involvement can bridge the gap between national policies and local actions, essential for effective management and conservation. Furthermore, the marked decrease in carbon stocks in the region will have an outsized climate-change impact and direct economic implications, given that the potential future value of decarbonization credits could reach up to US$29.36 million (Feitosa et al. 2023).

The implications of deforestation and wildfires on Indigenous lands in the Amazon extend beyond immediate environmental damage, profoundly affecting the health and livelihoods of Indigenous communities and directly impacting the regional bioeconomy. In addition, the degradation and vulnerability of Indigenous populations must be studied to prevent their extinction. Collective approaches that incorporate traditional knowledge and academic research provide insights that benefit many stakeholders, ensuring that environmental strategies respect and leverage the deep-rooted understanding that Indigenous peoples have of their ecosystems. Furthermore, promoting both forest retention and human welfare could be most effectively achieved in those municipalities where a large portion of the territory consists of protected areas or Indigenous lands, such as in several municipalities in Amapá, Pará, Amazonas, and Roraima. Successful management of these areas not only fulfills conservation goals but also generates sufficient revenue to support robust local economies (Dias et al. 2016).

In summary, safeguarding Indigenous territories in the Amazon requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the complex interactions between environmental conservation, sustainable resource management, and climate-change mitigation. This strategy must be grounded in multidisciplinary research, with collaboration across environmental, economic, and social science domains. Only through a collaborative and scientifically oriented framework can we preserve biodiversity and the cultural integrity of Indigenous peoples. These are invaluable assets for recognizing the historical significance of Indigenous peoples, preserving the current environment, and safeguarding future biodiversity and climate stability.