A new study from the University of Helsinki shows that Indigenous territories represent around 45% of all the remaining wilderness areas in the Amazon, comprising an area of three times the surface of Germany.
At a time when the Amazon forests face unprecedented pressures, overcoming divergences and aligning the goals of wilderness defenders and Indigenous peoples is paramount to avoid further environmental degradation.
“In our paper we show that supporting Indigenous peoples’ rights is in the interest of the conservation agenda,” says Dr. Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares from the University of Helsinki. “The future of a substantial proportion of the Amazon’s biodiversity depends largely on coordinated action to support and strengthen Indigenous peoples’ rights across the entire region.”
The authors argue that the convergence of the agendas and priorities of both wilderness-centred conservationists and Indigenous peoples is more important than ever, as some of the government in the region have started to trample over commitments towards globally agreed goals on both the environment and Indigenous peoples’ rights.
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Image via University of Helsinki
