State of the Rainforest 2014

Comparing continents, South America is undoubtedly world champion when it comes to indigenous peoples’ rights. Great advances in legal frameworks and recognition of collective territorial and cultural rights have been made since the 1970s, and also the willingness to undertake international commitments has grown. Between 1991 and 2002 the six major Amazon countries ratified the legally binding ILO Convention 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples, whereas neither Guyana, Suriname nor France (for French Guyana) has done the same. All nine countries, however, have endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples from 2007. Yet, realities on the ground may differ substantially from rights on paper. Strong political influence from economic interest groups involved in deforestation, like the agribusiness lobby in Brazil and the oil and gas sector in Peru, impact directly on the opportunities for exercising rights. Studies indicate that it is becoming increasingly dangerous to defend human rights and the environment in the Amazon, as the race for natural resources intensifies. 13 In the Brazilian Congress there is reported to be 83 registered proposals for legislative bills threatening indigenous rights and territories, 14 almost 75% of the Peruvian Amazon is already opened for oil and gas concessions, 15 and the present regimes in Bolivia, Ecuador and Guyana have proven to

area than any other river. 2,500 species of fish are recorded, more than in the Atlantic Ocean. 6 The Amazon rainforest exchanges vast amounts of water and energy with the atmosphere, creating half of its own rainfall and affecting the climate at a regional scale, well beyond the rainforest. 7 It stores 90 billion tonnes of carbon. 8 By its impact on climate, deforestation in the Amazon may affect agricultural production on regional and even intercontinental scale. The Amazon rainforest is home to the greatest variety of species on terrestrial earth. The region itself is diverse, with distinct characteristics in flora and fauna linked to altitude or climate zone. 30,000 plant species are registered in Brazil, and as many as 4,200 species of butterflies in Peru – considered a world record. 9 This biological richness has its cultural correspondence. The Amazon is home to some 385 different indigenous peoples, 10 still speaking more than 300 languages. 11 Officially recognized indigenous territories make up a total of 1.6 million km 2 , or 21.1% of the Amazon. Another 500,000 km 2 is either occupied by indigenous peoples, being claimed by them, or in the process of recognition, which could bring the sum total of indigenous territories up to 27.5%. 12 Two thirds of the recognized indigenous territories (68%) are to be found in Brazil, corresponding roughly to Brazil’s 64% share of the Amazon region.

Extent of rainforest and deforestation in the Amazon basin

G UYANA

Annual deforestation rate Percentage

0,8

F RENCH G UIANA

V ENEZUELA

2001-2005

0,6

S URINAME

C OLOMBIA

E QUADOR

0,4

B RAZIL

0,2

B OLIVIA

P ERU

2006-2010

0,0

Forest and deforestation extent 1 Thousands square kilometres 700 100

3 100

Forest (2000) Deforestation (2001-2010)

Source: RAISG, Mapa Amazonia, 2012; IMAZON, Deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon Biome, 2011.

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STATE OF THE RAINFOREST 2014