Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazonian Indigenous lands decreased by 42%, reaching a six-year low
Indigenous peoples’ lands in the Amazon experienced a 42% decrease in deforestation between August 2023 and March 2024, according to a report by the Brazilian organization Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (Imazon). This is the lowest amount of destruction recorded within these territories since 2018.
Brazil Amazon Fires: 26 Million Acres Scorched in 2023, Up 35.4% from Previous Year
A staggering 26.4 million acres of Brazil’s Amazon were scorched in 2023, a 35.4% increase from the previous year. Deforestation from agriculture and cattle-ranching is a main driver of forest fires in the Amazon.
“The River is Gone” Communities in the Amazon Struggle Through Worst Drought in Recent History
A severe drought in the Amazon is disrupting transportation, isolating communities, and putting wildlife at risk for survival. Indigenous peoples in the region are urging their governments to declare a climate emergency.
The Future is Female, and Indigenous
The III Indigenous Women’s March, held from September 11-14 in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, brought together over 6,000 female leaders from various Indigenous communities worldwide. A delegation of women from Roraima highlighted how far women in Brazil were willing to travel to have their voices heard in the rallying cry in defense of their lands and cultures. Read our full account of the events.
Brazil’s Supreme Court Votes in Favor of Indigenous Rights in Landmark Trial
Brazil’s Supreme Court reached a majority decision to reject Marco Temporal, a pernicious legal argument that translates as a “Time Limit” on Indigenous peoples’ land rights. As the results were announced, Indigenous communities around Brazil erupted into celebration, filling the central plazas of state capitals with music and dancing.
Amazon Summit Falls Short: Leaders Must Dig Deeper and Assume Deforestation Commitments
The final declaration of the Amazon Summit, referred to as the Belém Declaration, has fallen short of expectations for collectively implementing crucial measures to protect the Amazon rainforest, its peoples, and the global climate. It notably lacks a commitment towards zero deforestation by 2030 and fails to address halting oil exploration in the region. Read our full statement.
Innovative Strategy Yields 17 Land Titles for Indigenous Communities in Peru
Land titles are the most effective way to reduce deforestation rates in Indigenous peoples’ territory, resulting in a 66% reduction in forest cover loss. 17 land titles were secured for Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon in record time—more titles were established in ten months than were possible in the previous three years.
Attack in Yanomami Community Kills Child and Injures Five More in Brazil
Five Yanomami Indigenous people, including two children, were injured in a shooting in Yanomami territory, in Roraima, Brazil, on Monday, July 3rd. It is not new that illegal mining has ravaged Indigenous lands, with more than 20,000 invaders in the Yanomami territory alone, destroying forests, bringing disease, sexual exploitation, and death.
Constitutional Trial Threatens Indigenous Peoples’ Land Rights in Brazil
The Marco Temporal thesis is the greatest threat to the rights and lives of Indigenous peoples in Brazil today. But the potential impacts are not limited to these communities—they are universal. Our shared future depends on the health of the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical forest and one of the major contributors to the climate’s maintenance. As the primary and best guardians of the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous peoples and their lands play a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
2022 A Year In Review
As the year comes to a close we’re looking back at all of the amazing things we’ve accomplished in 2022, together! Check out our Year in Review.
