Brazilian Amazon indigenous territories under deforestation pressure

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Silva-Junior, Celso H. L. ; Silva, Fabricio B. ; Arisi, Barbara Maisonnave ; Mataveli, Guilherme ; Pessoa, Ana C. M. ; Carvalho, Nathalia S. ; Reis, Joao B. C. ; Silva Junior, Admo R. ; Motta, Nathalia A. C. S. ; Moreira e Silva, Paulo Vinicius ; Ribeiro, Francarlos Diniz ; Siqueira-Gay, Juliana ; Alencar, Ane ; Saatchi, Sassan ; Aragao, Luiz E. O. C. ; Anderson, Liana O. ; Melo, Maycon

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 13, n. 1, p. 9-pg., 2023-04-10.

Abstract

Studies showed that Brazilian Amazon indigenous territories (ITs) are efficient models for preserving forests by reducing deforestation, fires, and related carbon emissions. Considering the importance of ITs for conserving socio-environmental and cultural diversity and the recent climb in the Brazilian Amazon deforestation, we used official remote sensing datasets to analyze deforestation inside and outside indigenous territories within Brazil's Amazon biome during the 2013-2021 period. Deforestation has increased by 129% inside ITs since 2013, followed by an increase in illegal mining areas. In 2019-2021, deforestation was 195% higher and 30% farther from the borders towards the interior of indigenous territories than in previous years (2013-2018). Furthermore, about 59% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions within ITs in 2013-2021 (96 million tons) occurred in the last three years of analyzed years, revealing the magnitude of increasing deforestation to climate impacts. Therefore, curbing deforestation in indigenous territories must be a priority for the Brazilian government to secure these peoples' land rights, ensure the forests' protection and regulate the global climate. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/25701-8 - The influence of land use and land cover on fine particulate matter (PM2.5µm) emissions from fire in Amazonia and Cerrado biomes integrating modelling and remote sensing
• Grantee: Guilherme Augusto Verola Mataveli
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I
• Grantee: Julio Romano Meneghini
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program
• FAPESP's process: 16/02018-2 - Interannual variation of Amazon Basin greenhouse gas balances and their controls in a warming and increasingly variable climate – Carbam: the Amazon carbon balance long-term study
• Grantee: Luciana Vanni Gatti
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants