« Our Future Forests: Vital Reserves in the Amazon » : an ambitious commitment to Indigenous peoples and local communities

Published on August 9 2024

Amazonia
FOREST AND AGRICULTURAL LAND

On August 9th, for International Day of the World4s Indigenous Peoples, the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) Highlights a project supported by the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, in partnership with the NGO Conservation International. The project aims to ensure the long-term preservation of the Amazon rainforest, vital for global climate stability and the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and local communities.

Spanning nine rapidly developing countries, the Amazon hosts 50-70% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity and 23% of its irreplaceable carbon. More than 350 local communities rely on this ecosystem. Despite its environmental and social significance, the Earth's "green lung" is under severe threat. The Amazon has already lost about 15% of its total area. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if deforestation continues at this rate, the rainforest could reach a "tipping point," where it would lose its climate-regulating functions and transform into savanna.

To help protect this biodiversity hotspot, its irrecoverable carbon, and unique ecosystems, the "Vital Reserves in the Amazon" project operates in four pilot sites across Bolivia, Guyana, Ecuador, and Peru. These areas cover 4,752,000 hectares, store over 234 million tons of irrecoverable carbon, and are home to more than 6,000 people.

Officially launched at COP 28 in Dubai, the "Vital Reserves in the Amazon" project aims to preserve the Amazon while improving the well-being of local communities through the creation and sustainable management of protected areas designated as vital reserves. These "vital reserves" combine protected areas and Indigenous territories to form connectivity corridors or large-scale protection zones, while developing financial innovations to ensure long-term protection beyond the project's duration.

Running from September 2023 to September 2027, with a budget of 15.5 million euros, the project seeks to establish the conditions for sustainable management of these vital reserves by actively involving Indigenous communities, the true Guardians of the Amazon.

Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, emphasizes the importance of this initiative:

By investing in the world's vital reserves, the French government is advancing tomorrow's science while upholding its bold commitment to supporting protected areas and local and Indigenous conservation efforts in the Amazon. Together, we are pioneering a new model of partnership that leverages science and field action to maximize impact. We must tackle the climate and biodiversity crises together, and this is exactly what the vital reserves do: they secure the carbon we need to protect to avoid climate disaster while safeguarding some of the richest biodiversity hotspots on the planet.

Key expected outcomes include:

Establishing sustainable financing mechanisms: Each vital reserve will have a long-term financing plan, ensuring continuous protection and effective management. These innovative plans will serve as models for similar projects in the Amazon region.
Stakeholder engagement and capacity building: The project actively collaborates with local authorities and Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). Emphasis is placed on capacity building and strengthening local governance, promoting sustainable practices and self-determination of local communities.

Stéphane Cieniewski, Environment and Climate Advisor at the French Treasury, highlights:

This project stands as a leading example of the Tropical Forest Conservation Alliance's threefold strategy, which France helped launch in 2019, to preserve, restore, and sustainably manage forests and their ecosystems. To achieve these goals, we must find concrete solutions to our shared challenges, not by isolating tropical forests but by involving IPLCs who live in and are part of the forest, and who are its primary stewards.

The project has already made significant progress:

In Ecuador: The project plays a crucial role in supporting the Achuar territory. Through the Socio Bosque Fund (a national conservation incentive program), financial incentives are provided to 11 Achuar communities, ensuring the conservation of about 184,018 hectares of primary forest, benefiting over 1,500 people. Additionally, the project strengthens the Achuar nationality organization's (NAE) transparent resource management. A technical committee, including representatives from the Ministry of Environment, NAE, and Conservation International (CI), oversees these efforts. This year, the project also focused on financial planning to improve local management, monitoring, and governance, aiming to increase the Socio Bosque Fund's contribution to the Achuar territory.
In Guyana: The project is actively involved in establishing the Nature and Development Opportunity (NOD) mechanism. This program is specifically designed to support IPLCs in consolidating environmentally friendly practices such as sustainable agriculture, conservation, and community tourism. NOD provides grants, technical assistance, and partnerships to strengthen IPLCs. The ultimate goal is to create a self-sustaining Indigenous entity.
In Bolivia: The project supports the Bajo Madidi communities and includes establishing a savings mechanism focused on marketing Brazil nuts. This initiative is expected to provide direct economic benefits to the communities while contributing to biodiversity conservation.
In Peru: The ongoing study of three Indigenous federations - FECONA, FECOIBAP, and FECONAFROPU - is a crucial step. Understanding their organizational structures and identifying their capacity and management needs enables the project to tailor its support effectively. The pilot design of a sustainable financing mechanism, planned for this month, is promising. The goal is for these federations to take charge of managing the financial mechanism, ensuring its sustainability and community ownership.

A regional event will take place at the end of 2024, bringing together various stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples and organizations specializing in sustainable finance. The main objectives are to share experiences, strengthen ongoing mechanisms, enhance collaboration, and seek financing solutions for conservation. Indigenous peoples and local communities' involvement in discussions on sustainable livelihoods and territorial management will be a key focus of this event.

See the project sheet