Indigenous Peoples Face Old and New Challenges in COVID-19

In recent years, deforestation has increased again in the Amazon, including in Indigenous territories. In 2019, over 42,000 hectares were deforested within Indigenous lands. Although this represents only 5 percent of the total recorded deforestation during this period, it is a sign of increased pressure from illegal activities such as mining and logging, which threaten Indigenous communities, their cultures and the biodiversity they protect.

In a moment of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous populations are even more vulnerable in the face of these incursions, since outsiders have historically been a major vector of disease transmission. Meanwhile, travel restrictions exacerbate impacts to food security and the economy of many communities.

And with decreased support for surveillance, Indigenous lands and protected areas are at even greater risk than usual. All this in turn can endanger the socio-biodiversity of their territories.

For this reason, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is working to support Indigenous communities in the Amazon in protecting forests and socio-biodiversity on their lands throughout the pandemic. We are particularly focused on strengthening environmental management and territorial development as well as supporting local organizations. This objective entails three main actions:

1. Reinforcing territorial protection and surveillance actions specified in Territorial and Environmental Management Plans (PGTAs), as well as any development partnerships with Indigenous peoples and communities, thus ensuring their health and that of the habitats on which they rely.
2. Promoting food security and maintaining the value chains of Indigenous and traditional socio-biodiversity products in order to reduce the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on communities and their organizations.
3. Strengthening the organizational and communication capacity of Indigenous organizations and local and regional communities so they are able to exert greater influence on environmental management and defend their rights.

We know that there is a clear link between environmental conservation and the well-being of local stewards. A threat to their fundamental rights directly impacts not only the immediate surroundings, but the interconnected systems that we all need to survive. Especially at a time like this it is essential that all societies and governments prioritize the well-being and health of these communities—for their sake and that of the entire planet.