Amazonian Indigenous territories are crucial for conservation

Date:
July 29, 2020
Source:
University of Helsinki
Summary:
A new study 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.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study 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 this paper we show that supporting Indigenous peoples' rights
is in the interest of the conservation agenda," explains Dr. A'lvaro Ferna'ndez- Llamazares, the first author of the study, 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.

"There is no doubt that the Amazon is at a crossroads in its
social-ecological history," adds Dr. Ferna'ndez-Llamazares. "Rollbacks on environmental protections and Indigenous Peoples rights across the entire region are opening up vast natural areas to new external pressures."
All these macroeconomic and political forces are being felt in both
wilderness areas and Indigenous Peoples territories. However, disputes
on whether conserving wilderness should come at the expense of Indigenous peoples rights undermine potential for collaborative conservation.

Minimal forest loss on Indigenous territories across the Amazon The
study underscored the substantial role of Indigenous territories in
buffering against deforestation through advanced geospatial analyses
based on available satellite data. These lands account for less than 15%
of all the forest loss occurring within the Amazon's last wilderness
frontiers. This is largely evidenced throughout the southern rim of
the Amazon, where Indigenous territories represent the only islands of biological and cultural diversity in the larger landscape.

"The concept of wilderness has a contentious history across much of the
Global South, as it is based on the assumption that humans have inherently negative impacts on nature," highlights Prof. Eduardo S. Brondizio,
a researcher from Indiana University Bloomington and senior author of
the study.

"Yet, the Amazon is a classic example of how long-term interactions
between Indigenous peoples and forests can be linked to positive
environmental outcomes. We have known for decades that a significant
portion of the region's supposedly pristine forests are in fact cultural forests,"he notes. "Indigenous peoples, and also other traditional
communities, show that it is possible to successfully combine forest conservation, management and agroforestry systems." In view of this,
the authors call for a more socially inclusive notion of wilderness in
order to align the agendas and priorities of both wilderness- focused conservationists and Indigenous peoples against a new wave of frontier expansion.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Helsinki. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. A'lvaro Ferna'ndez-Llamazares, Julien Terraube, Michael C. Gavin,
Aili
Pyha"la", Sacha M.O. Siani, Mar Cabeza, Eduardo
S. Brondizio. Reframing the Wilderness Concept can Bolster
Collaborative Conservation. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2020;
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.06.005 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200729114743.htm

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