Study: 60% of quilombola communities face invasions and illegal mining
Invasions and illegal mining occur in nearly 60 percent of Brazilian quilombos – settlements originally formed by black and indigenous people escaping slavery in the 16th through 19th centuries. A study was conducted by the nonprofit Sumaúma Institute and released Thursday (Nov. 13) at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).
Entitled Corpos-territórios quilombolas e o fio conectado da ancestralidade: entre as agendas de justiça climática e as práticas culturais e comunicacionais (“Quilombola Body-Territories and the Connecting Thread of Ancestry: Between climate justice agendas and cultural and communication practices”), the survey casts light on the overlap between climate crises and human rights violations, which threaten the territories and ways of life of these communities. More than half (54.7%) of these territories already report extreme droughts, and 43.4 percent suffer from the loss of their crops.
“The data prove what leaders have been denouncing for decades – environmental racism determines who receives investment and who has their territory invaded. There will be no climate justice until climate finance adopts an anti-racist lens. Quilombos are not only victims of climate change, they are holders of the ancestral management and protection solutions that Brazil needs,” warns Taís Oliveira, director of the Sumaúma Institute.
The survey also shows that 64.2 percent of quilombola leaders face barriers to raising funds due to structural racism. This exclusion is exacerbated by flaws in the philanthropy and social investment ecosystem, which rarely prioritizes projects led by black communities.
The agenda for survival and basic rights is even more urgent – racism (87%), the demand for public policies (85%), and education (77.4%) were the most cited issues.
The study highlights the leading role of women and young people among quilombola communicators – 58.5 percent are women and almost 70 percent are aged 18 to 39. Despite their high level of education, 88 percent live on up to five minimum wages.
Another critical factor is poor digital infrastructure – almost half of the communities face problems with internet and mobile signal coverage. Even so, 96 percent use cell phones daily and 87 percent use social media as a tool for mobilization.
The findings reinforce the urgency of anti-racist public policies and funding that recognize the role of quilombola communities in climate justice and the preservation of Brazilian biomes.
“There is still a misconception and even a stereotype according to which quilombolas live in isolation – but that’s not the reality. Like other populations, we also have access to the internet, attend college, and lead lives like anyone else. The difference lies in our relationship with nature, which comes from our ancestral heritage and is based on caring for all forms of life. For us, none of this is new, it’s just the way we live,” said Juliane Sousa, a quilombola journalist and researcher who served as a guest consultant on the study.
