Brazilian Amazon Indigenous Territories under deforestation pressure

Abstract

Abstract Studies showed that Brazilian Amazon indigenous territories (Its) are efficient models for preserving forests by reducing deforestation, fires, and related carbon emissions. Here, we used official remote sensing datasets to analyze deforestation inside and outside indigenous territories within Brazil's Amazon biome in the 2013-2021 period. We found that deforestation has increased by 129% inside ITs since 2013, followed by an increase in illegal mining areas. In the 2019-2021 period, deforestation was 195% higher and 30% further 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 the 2013-2021 period (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.