Code red for the Amazon rainforest and its Indigenous communities

Mercedes Bustamante is a professor at the University of Brasilia and a member of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, an international panel of experts.

The Amazon rainforest – one of our world's most important natural resources – is in danger.

As I write this, record high numbers of fires were recorded across the rainforest in July, with 17,582 kilometres burnt due to ongoing drought – a detrimental impact of the intensifying climate crisis.

As the effects of global warming continue to damage and destroy vital ecosystems in the Amazon, its natural ability to absorb emissions is being hampered.

Due to this, among many other factors, a record quantity of CO2 entered the planet's atmosphere in 2023.

Double-edged sword

Deforestation, degradation, and climate change is pushing the Amazon towards a point from which it is unlikely to recover – devastating the very ecosystems that keep our world in balance, and further feeding global warming.

Not only is this harming the Amazon forests and rivers, but communities residing, managing and relying upon them.

As August 9th marks the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, it is important that we take this time to recognise and reflect upon the vital role that Indigenous communities hold in the Amazon.

Currently, over two million Indigenous people live in the Amazon Basin. This includes more than 400 groups, with around 300 indigenous languages spoken throughout the region.

For centuries, these Indigenous communities have cared for the forest's environment, passing down local knowledge from generation to generation.

Recent research revealed that between 2000 and 2021, just 5% of net forest loss in the Amazon took place in Indigenous territories. This is between 17-26% lower when compared to the global average for deforestation in unprotected tropical forests.

Indigenous peoples' ability to protect and preserve the Earth is crucial if we are to turn the tide on the climate and biodiversity crises and secure a manageable future for humanity.

However, many Indigenous communities are facing increased threats to their safety, health, and wellbeing.

Deforestation of the Amazon – from human activities such as farming, logging, and mining – has a significant impact on these communities, including loss of land, contamination of drinking water, and air pollution due to fires.

Similarly, increasing disturbances of forest ecosystems expose Indigenous Peoples to diseases and mental struggles.

Suicide rates among Indigenous Brazilians reached more than two and a half times the rate for the overall Brazilian population in 2020.

Social tipping point

Ensuring Indigenous communities in the Amazon are able to thrive and continue the practices that have protected our planet for centuries is more important than ever.

According to recent research, up to half of the Amazon could hit a biophysical tipping point by 2050, with the rainforest already much weaker than expected and dry season temperatures  degrees higher than 40 years previous.

If this tipping point is breached, 10% to 47% of the forest could face unexpected events that have the potential to trigger ecosystem-wide transitions, exposing the Amazon to increased temperatures and further reducing the forest's natural function as a carbon sink.

So, there is the additional threat of a negative social tipping point triggered by abrupt irreversible change in Indigenous social systems that have evolved in connection with natural systems.

The loss of such notable biocultural diversity would also mean the loss of accumulated knowledge about biodiversity and ecosystems.

The United Nations set 2022–2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, to raise global awareness about their importance and risk of extinction.

For instance, in Indigenous communities, most medicinal knowledge is linguistically unique, known by a single language.

It is therefore essential that we work with these communities to avoid a social tipping point for Indigenous people.

Stewards of our planet

Our planet's ultimate line of defence in defending the ecosystems and biodiversity that we all rely on is to ensure the crucial role of Indigenous people is acknowledged throughout international policy.

Last year, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pledged that the Amazon would reach net-zero deforestation by 2030.

Encouragingly, as part of his commitment, Lula formed a Ministry of Indigenous Peoples to take part in decision-making processes for the region. This group is run by Sonia Guajajara, who has since become the first indigenous female minister in Brazil.

While it is clear that Brazil is taking right steps to learn from Indigenous Peoples, there are still important actions to be taken to safeguard their territorial rights and cultures.

If we are to successfully tackle the global climate and biodiversity crises, knowledge and respect of these local practices must extend far beyond country borders.

Instead, we must seek a global commitment from national governments, private sector, and financial institutions to uphold the long-standing sustainable practices of Indigenous communities.

Only by committing to working with Indigenous people to restore and maintain our ecosystems, forests, and rivers can we guarantee a sustainable Amazon and future for humanity.