In November 2023, I found myself on the Nile River with my friend and colleague, Patricia Gualinga, Indigenous woman defender from the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon, following our participation in the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Over the last two decades, Patricia and her community have mobilized to resist and expel oil companies from their territory and have inspired communities and movements around the world to do the same. As the sun set over the horizon, we reflected on our years of work together to protect the living forests of the Amazon along another great river system, half a world away.
For 26 years, Amazon Watch has worked in solidarity with Indigenous peoples to advance their territorial land rights in the Amazon Basin, defending this extraordinary biome from a range of threats. Scientists and policy makers are finally starting to acknowledge that Indigenous peoples like the Kichwa of Sarayaku are the best stewards of Earth’s remaining forests: though only 5% of the global population, they steward 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity. We must defend the rights of Indigenous peoples to protect the Amazon rainforest, global biodiversity, and climate.
This year, Amazon Watch successfully nominated Brazilian Indigenous leader Alessandra Korap Munduruku for the Goldman Environmental Prize. Alessandra brings both hope and resistance as she works to defend her territory from illegal gold mining and agribusiness, among other threats. Alongside this win, we celebrated the defeat of a bill in Peru that would have eliminated reserves for Indigenous peoples in isolation, in a formidable demonstration of strength by the Peruvian Indigenous movement. Ecuador’s Indigenous movement won an important one-year moratorium on new oil and mining concessions, creating uncertainty around the country’s plans to double oil production and significantly boost mining investment. In Brazil, we are witnessing greater respect for Indigenous land rights with the demarcation, or official land titling, of more than 800,000 hectares.
These victories, as well as the growing Indigenous women’s movement across the Amazon, restore and inspire us to continue our work to End Amazon Crude, Stop Amazon Mining, and Defend Earth Defenders. This past year, our Amazon Defenders Fund (ADF) provided nearly $2 million in solidarity and emergency grants directly to our partners across the Amazon to support their priorities.
The impending Amazon tipping point is just on the horizon. According to scientists, we have less than two years to reverse course. In partnership with Indigenous peoples, aligned civil society groups, and concerned citizens, we can do it. The resilience of the communities we serve and the dedication of our team have strengthened our commitment. We recognize that none of these achievements would have been possible without the unwavering support of our donors, partners, and dedicated team. Your commitment to justice and environmental stewardship is the driving force behind our and our partners’ successes.
Thank YOU for your partnership!
For the Amazon
Leila Salazar-López
Executive Director
