The rainforest and its keepers under threat

In 2020 only, there was an increase of 47% and 9.5% of deforestation in the Amazon compared to 2018 and 2019, respectively - the highest rate in the decade. On average, an area of tropical forest larger than the Netherlands was lost every year from 2014 to 2018, as forests are chiefly cleared for agriculture. 

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This represents a major concern for the environment, as the territory that should be protected by the government has already lost 3.2 million acres of rainforest. This process, mostly influenced by the agricultural and cattle industry, is not only affecting the environment, but also entire communities. 

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Because of these practices, Indigenous communities are being displaced from their legally owned land. This subsequently generates another branch of problems; such as poverty, loss of culture, health problems, and more (leading to bigger situations of inequality). 

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Around 13% of Brazilian land is populated by Indigenous communities, and most of that territory is under conservation. However, this territory, belonging to the Amazon Rainforest, is under threat due to harmful companies and policies made by Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro. 

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The regulation and creation of new Indigenous reserves- duty  that was previously controlled by the aboriginal agency “Funai”, is now controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture - which is influenced by the agro-business lobby (ibid). 

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Background data 

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According to the National Space Research Institute (INPE, by its acronym in Portuguese), the highest rate of forest loss was recorded in Indigenous reserves such as Itatá, with a 650% increase in deforestation; in Apyterewa, with a 334% increase; and Cachoeira Seca, with a 12% increase. Cachoeira Seca suffered the greatest loss of forest (10.6% of its total area), followed by Apyterewa (8%) and Itatá (5.53%). The three reserves topping the list are all located at the heart of what is known as the “Amazon deforestation arc”.

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Indigenous People manage, own, or occupy at least a quarter of the world’s land area - but they have legal ownership rights to only 10% of such land. However, despite them comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, they protect about 80% of the world’s biodiversity. 

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This demonstrates the significant importance of Aboriginal communities and their relation to biodiversity and its conservation. The fact that the Amazon Rainforest is the holder of most of Earth’s biodiversity is proof of how successful these cultures have been at protecting the land while living in balance with the environment.

 

However, Indigenous People’s contributions to the conservation of land are not always recognized, experts say that it is not as simple as drawing polygons on maps. It all requires going beyond traditional conservation measures, and a holistic indigenous knowledge system is needed to be taken into consideration. 

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According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), “local and indigenous knowledge refers to the understandings, skills and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their natural surroundings. These unique ways of knowing are important facets of the world’s cultural diversity, and provide a foundation for locally-appropriate sustainable development.” 

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A holistic approach is inherent when talking about indigenous ways of knowing (holistic knowledge refers to the approach that all aspects of life are interconnected, everything is taken into consideration as part of the “whole”).

 

After the decrees made by Brazil’s president, many people belonging to the Indigenous community protested in the Brazilian capital in order to raise their voice. Bolsonaro stated that the territories belonging to the Indigenous People are too big in relation to its inhabitants, and has promised to freeze new divisions and open the territory to the agriculture and mining industry. 

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Indigenous leader, Cacique Dara said: "This government that's in power today is trying to exterminate the Indigenous People, but our people are warriors. We don't care about wealth, what's important is nature," (ibid).

 

Why is this happening?

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The problem of deforestation can easily be linked with multinationals and the influence of powerful countries. Due to the United States-China trade feud and global demand, the cattle industry in Brazil is exponentially growing. 

The big picture is that the cattle industry is responsible for 80% of all the deforestation in the region, therefore allowing the exploitation of indigenous land and the environment as a whole. 

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A great portion of Amazonian land has been given the status of protected settlements by law. Nevertheless, some areas are still used for farming, mining, logging, and other environmentally harmful commercial activities. 

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Due to the fact that most of the protected settlements are owned by Indigenous communities, it could be argued that all the activities mentioned above (regulated by the State) are illegal if we take into consideration what is stated in Brazil’s Constitution; “The lands traditionally occupied by Indians [Indigenous People] are destined for their permanent possession, and they shall be entitled to the exclusive usufruct of the riches of the soil, rivers and lakes existing thereon“. 

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Despite Indigenous People having a right to the land, the government often argues that the actions they take regarding minery and deforestation are also allowed by their Constitution; “The utilization of water resources, including their energy potential, and prospecting and mining of mineral wealth on indigenous lands may only be done with the authorization of the National Congress”. 

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Despite the fact that the environmental consequences are detrimental, the commercial use of the land evidently boosts Brazil’s economy. As Brazil is a developing country, in order to create a rapid economic growth, it relies on the use of natural resources.

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The Amazon’s deforestation is not only harmful to the Indigenous communities and Brazil’s biodiversity, but for the whole world. Due to the fact that the Amazon Rainforest is viewed as the Earth’s lungs, deforestation could lead to the transformation of the landscape into a savannah that will therefore generate less oxygen. 

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The failure of addressing this issue could potentially accelerate climate change, increase biodiversity loss, and significantly damage society as a whole due to socioeconomic and health related factors.

 

Who is right and who is wrong?

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The displacement and land occupation that Indigenous People suffer are products of both climate and government injustices. No one should be deprived from the resources that the country has to offer - as long as the use of the land is carried out in a sustainable way and with both sides coming to an agreement. 

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The land inhabited by Aboriginal communities shows a larger number of biodiversity than other protected areas; therefore, enhancing native land tenure practices on indigenous-managed territory may have some potential to reduce national and global shortfalls in land protection for biodiversity conservation. 

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A partnership between Brazil’s government and Amazonian communities could promote a more responsible and sustainable use of the land, create economic growth and prosperity for Brazil while still protecting the land’s biodiversity and Native communities, as well as their rights. This could be carried out by learning how to take care of the rainforest by using indigenous knowledge and amplifying their voices to understand their position.