The Amazon Spoke. Did World Leaders at COP30 Listen?
More than 50,000 people marched in the “Great People’s March” during COP30, calling for an end to violence against land defenders, a halt to environmental destruction, and a global phaseout of fossil-fuels.
Amazon Flotilla: Indigenous Peoples Must be at the Center of COP30 Climate Negotiations
An extraordinary journey along the Amazon River just took place. The Yaku Mama Flotilla traveled over 1,800 miles from the Andes in Ecuador to Belém, Brazil, the host city of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30). This is the first time in history that the COP will take place in the Amazon. Onboard […]
Building a Fairer Forest Finance System: Indigenous Leadership in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility
As world leaders prepare to gather in Belém, Brazil, for COP30 in November, one topic is expected to take center stage: the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)—an ambitious proposal from the Brazilian government to create a lasting financial mechanism for forest protection. The TFFF aims to provide countries with steady, long-term payments for proven forest […]
In 2024, Amazon fires scorched an area equivalent to the entire state of California—in Brazil alone.
In 2024, fires devastated the Amazon at an unprecedented scale. For the first time on record, fires were the leading cause of forest loss in the Amazon. More than 44.2 million acres of rainforest burned, an area larger than the entire state of California.
Why Guyana’s Wapichan Headwaters Must Be Defended
The ancestral lands of Guyana’s Wapichan, Macushi, and Wai Wai peoples are currently under threat from illegal gold mining and deforestation. A roadmap for protecting the region is underway.
Forest Carbon Data Helps Communities Benefit Financially from their Forests
By Isabela Barriga, David Gibbs and Cameron Ellis This article was originally published by Global Forest Watch and is republished here with permission. You can view the original article here. Indigenous Peoples and local communities play a crucial role in protecting forests and the areas they manage tend to experience lower deforestation rates than other […]
Saweto: Historic Sentences Confirmed Against the Killers of Ashéninka Leaders
After eleven years of struggle, a historic victory for Indigenous justice has finally been secured. On August 25, 2025, the Superior Court of Ucayali upheld the convictions of illegal loggers Hugo Soria Flores, José Estrada Huayta, and brothers Segundo and Josimar Atachi Félix. The court confirmed their sentences of 28 years and 3 months in […]
Indigenous Communities Lead Climate Adaptation Strategies in the Peruvian Amazon
Last month, delegations from more than eight Indigenous peoples—including the Kichwa, Ticuna, and Wampís—gathered in Moyobamba, northern Peru, to exchange knowledge and co-create a climate adaptation strategy. Organized by Rainforest Foundation US’s (RFUS) partner, the Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP), the gathering brought together Indigenous women leaders, technical experts, and […]
How New Laws in the US, Brazil, and Ecuador Are Driving Forest Loss and Rights Violations
Right now, across the United States, Brazil and Ecuador, hard-won environmental protections are being dismantled at an alarming pace, putting the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest and ancestral home to over a million Indigenous peoples, at great risk. Yet, in the face of this growing crisis, Rainforest Foundation US’s (RFUS) Indigenous partners continue to lead […]
A New Chapter for Indigenous Land Protection in the Peruvian Amazon
A new chapter in advancing Indigenous land rights is beginning in the Peruvian Amazon. A two-year project will title and protect approximately 550,000 acres of rainforests in the Chambira-Marañón region of Loreto. That’s an area nearly three times the size of New York City.
