In Acre state, indigenous people lead reforestation efforts in Amazon

Globally acknowledged as primary guardians of tropical forests due to their harmonious coexistence with the environment, indigenous communities in Brazil have extended their efforts towards restoring depleted regions. In the Juruá Valley region, located in the westernmost reaches of the state of Acre near the Peruvian border, indigenous associations, producer cooperatives, and non-governmental organizations are collaboratively engaged in the Amazon Reforest Alliance project, initiated in 2021 on a non-profit basis. The project's core objective is to facilitate agroforestry plantations within traditional communities that have witnessed deforestation encroach upon portions of their territories.

This is the case of the Puyanawa indigenous land, situated in the municipality of Mâncio Lima, approximately 700 km from the capital, Rio Branco. Nestled on the right bank of the Moa River, this territory spans a total area of 24,500 hectares, accommodating a population of around 750 individuals across two villages. About 5.8 percent of the territory has lost the original Amazon rainforest cover, a segment that was previously deforested by farmers who exploited the region in the past prior to its official demarcation. This accounts for roughly 1,500 hectares of land.

In the early 1900s, this area in the western part of present-day Acre fell victim to invasion by rubber-tapper colonizers. The region was subjected to the vigorous exploitation of the rubber cycle, which led to the dispossession of ancestral lands from the indigenous communities. Consequently, these original inhabitants were coerced into laboring for latex extraction over the course of several decades.

The demarcation of the territory only occurred in 2001. Leading the efforts is the Amazon Reforest Alliance project, spearheaded by Puwe Puyanawa. Towards the end of July, he hosted a group of digital influencers participating in the Creator Academy project, showcasing the ongoing work aimed at restoring the biome.

"The idea is for us to demonstrate to the community our capabilities in revitalizing degraded areas, transforming this place into a paradise abundant with fruits, medicinal plants, and valuable hardwoods. This approach emphasizes our ancestral commitment to nurturing the forest," Puyanawa stated.

The endeavor enjoys backing from experts at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the state government, and the SOS Amazônia organization. As outlined by the project, fostering, esteeming, and fortifying a network of traditional communities committed to agroforestry-based reforestation is an investment in the planet's future.

"This isn't just about trees that will bear fruit and thrive in years to come. It's also about the pressing need for reforestation due to the alarming rate at which the Amazon is being depleted," emphasizes a segment from the program's official page.

As stated in reports from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international network of climate scientists, addressing the restoration of degraded areas should be prioritized due to high deforestation rates. The UN has designated the period from 2021 onward as the Decade of Forest Restoration, underscoring the critical need for global reforestation efforts.

The Puyanawa indigenous community possesses technical expertise in seed collection, establishing seedling nurseries, and implementing agroforestry systems - Edgar Azevedo

First results

The Puyanawa indigenous community possesses technical expertise in seed collection, establishing seedling nurseries, and implementing agroforestry systems, even before the beginning of the Reforest Alliance initiative. The project's initial endeavor was implemented within the Yawanawá indigenous land, situated in the municipality of Tarauacá, Acre state. During this period, spanning from January to May of the previous year, they successfully planted 5.7 thousand seedlings encompassing fruit trees, hardwoods, and pioneering plants native to the biome, characterized by their swift growth. This entire process was captured on film.

Within Terra Puyanawa, the efforts are concentrated within an initial expanse of 9 hectares. Puwe Puyanawa elucidated that the aim of the initiative is to cultivate 30,000 seedlings during this project's inaugural phase. "We're addressing an open area spanning 1,500 hectares, left deforested, and our aspiration is to maximize our reach," he asserted. The realization of this endeavor hinges upon forging partnerships and securing financial backing.

Since its official demarcation in 2001, the Puyanawa indigenous land has exhibited a decreasing trend in its average deforestation rate - Edgar Azevedo

Indigenous communities: guardians of the forest

Indigenous territories stand as key barriers against the encroachment of deforestation in Brazil, as highlighted by MapBiomas—an interdisciplinary endeavor involving universities, non-governmental organizations, and technology companies committed to monitoring forest coverage and land utilization within the country. Over a span of 30 years (1990-2020), as per data from this collaborative network, indigenous territories experienced a mere 1 percent reduction in their native vegetation area, in stark contrast to private lands, which saw a reduction of 20.6 percent. During this three-decade period, Brazil witnessed the loss of 69 million hectares of its native vegetation, with only 1.1 million hectares occurring within indigenous territories.

Encompassing 13.9 percent of the country's total land area (109.7 million hectares), indigenous territories account for 19.5 percent of Brazil's preserved native vegetation—an assessment based on data refreshed up to 2020 that remains notably current. Conversely, MapBiomas reveals that over a span of 30 years, native vegetation loss in private lands amounted to 47.2 million hectares, constituting 68.4 percent of the total deforested area.

Since its official demarcation in 2001, the Puyanawa indigenous land has exhibited a decreasing trend in its average deforestation rate, as reported by Reforest Alliance. In more recent times, the project highlights that there has been a notable absence of new deforestation, which underscores “the community's commitment to preserving the integrity of the primary forest.”

*The reporter traveled at the invitation of the Creators Academy project.