Indigenous leaders and local communities at COP30 in Belém urged governments and global institutions to strengthen protection of tropical forests and to recognise territorial rights. They also demanded direct access to climate finance and guarantees of free, prior and informed consent for projects that affect their lands. Their requests followed a report from the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC) and Earth Insight that maps where extractive industries threaten forests and people.
The report identifies risks across the Amazon, the Congo Basin, Mesoamerica and Southeast Asia. In Mesoamerica, it says oil and gas projects threaten 3.7 million hectares of indigenous and community lands and that mining concessions cover 18.7 million hectares. In the Amazon, 250 million hectares are inhabited by indigenous peoples and local communities, with 31 million hectares threatened by oil and gas, 9.8 million by mining and 2.4 million by logging.
GATC executive secretary Juan Carlos Jintiach Arcos said the maps give global and comparable evidence of pressures on territories. Earth Insight deputy director Florencia Librizzi called the maps a powerful tool that makes hidden information clearer. Indigenous organisations also pointed to examples where legal recognition of rights reduces deforestation and called for finance and monitoring systems suited to local realities.
Difficult words
- indigenous — People originally from a place or area.indigenous communities, indigenous rights, indigenous governance, indigenous groups
- demand — To ask strongly for something needed.demands
- recognition — To accept or acknowledge something.
- ecosystem — A community of living things and their environment.ecosystems
- deforestation — The clearing of forests for other uses.
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Discussion questions
- How can indigenous rights impact environmental policies?
- What role do you think financial support plays in protecting forests?
- Why is collective decision-making important for these communities?
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