Government measures to destroy illegal roads in and around Colombia's Amazon rainforest are stalled, with one operation suspended over concerns it could set back peace talks between rebels and President Gustavo Petro's administration. There are at least 12 illegal roads in and around Chiribiquete national park, but there are no known operations underway to destroy them. The delays could prompt disciplinary action against officials for failing to protect the environment. The procurator's office has begun a disciplinary investigation into the government's general lack of progress [75098e02][31c5e46c].
This news comes in the context of the Brazilian government's efforts to combat deforestation in the Amazon. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has reached its lowest level for the month of November since 2015, according to official data published by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). In November, 201.1 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest were destroyed, a decrease of 64% compared to the same month last year [981f67d4].
However, deforestation in the Cerrado, the world's most biodiverse savanna located southeast of the Amazon, reached its highest level for the month of November since monitoring began in 2018. The government's actions have significantly reduced deforestation in the Amazon, but there are still many challenges to overcome. Conservation specialists emphasize the need to prioritize actions in the Cerrado, as its destruction threatens water security and agricultural production in Brazil [981f67d4].
In addition to these efforts, the United Kingdom has joined the international efforts to fund Amazon conservation by announcing an additional R215 million in funding. This funding is part of a 500 million reais donation agreement to the Amazon Fund, which was announced in May by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The fund has received a total of 3.4 billion reais and has financed over 102 projects to improve sustainable operations in the Amazon. The UK's contribution further strengthens the financial support for conservation efforts in the Amazon, joining countries like Norway, Germany, USA, and Switzerland as donors [c7133b11].
Furthermore, two years after the murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in the Brazilian Amazon, their families are still waiting for justice. The British journalist and the Brazilian Indigenous expert were killed on 5 June 2022 while investigating the criminal assault on the Javari valley, a rainforest home to uncontacted peoples. Three men, Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, Jefferson da Silva Lima, and Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, are awaiting trial for the murders. Two other men, Ruben Dario da Silva Villar and Jânio Freitas de Souza, have been charged in connection to the murders. Activists fear that powerful local politicians involved in the crime have not been sufficiently scrutinized. Despite a change in government, illegal activities such as mining and fishing continue to invade Indigenous territories in the Amazon. Indigenous activists in the Javari valley still face death threats [29e5246f].
Meanwhile, seven youth plaintiffs in Peru, ranging in age from 14 to 16, are fighting in court for climate action against Amazon deforestation and climate change. They argue that the state is violating their right to a healthy environment by failing to curb deforestation and mitigate climate change. The plaintiffs are seeking a concrete plan from the state for achieving net-zero deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon by 2025, as well as regional government plans that incorporate climate adaptation and mitigation measures. They also want the state to halt deforestation on public lands. The case, Álvarez et al v. Peru, was filed in 2019, and there is no clear timeline for a judicial ruling. The Peruvian youth face unique challenges in their fight for a stable climate in a Global South country. The case raises questions about countries' obligations to curb emissions and conserve natural resources. The growth of youth-led climate change lawsuits, such as the Fridays for Future movement, provides hope for their case and the potential for major policy change in Peru for Amazon conservation and climate action [dbe4735e].
In Indonesia's Sundarbans region, women who have lost family members to tiger attacks are coming together to advocate for their rights. The women, known as tiger widows, are building a campaign to address the socio-economic and gender-based deprivations they face as a result of the human-tiger conflict. The Calcutta High Court ordered compensation of ₹5 lakh each to two tiger widows, Sarojini Mondal and Saraswati Auliya, in January 2024. Gita Mriddha, a tiger widow and leader of the collective Sundarbans Baghra Bidhoba Samiti, is urging all women who have lost family members to tiger attacks to join the collective. The Sundarbans is the only mangrove forest in the world with a tiger population, and the region's residents often enter the forest for fishing, putting them at risk of tiger attacks. Activists argue that the State Forest Department's fishing passes are inadequate, and the limited economic opportunities in the region contribute to the vulnerability of the tiger widows. The tiger widows will participate in a discussion with representatives and NGOs working for widows in different countries, as well as members of the West Bengal Commission of Women, as part of Action Aid's Climate Justice Campaign. Efforts are being made to bring the tiger widows under social security schemes and ensure compensation for them, recognizing that they are victims of both the human-tiger conflict and climate change [2270963d].
This news comes in the context of the Brazilian government's efforts to combat deforestation in the Amazon. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has reached its lowest level for the month of November since 2015, according to official data published by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). In November, 201.1 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest were destroyed, a decrease of 64% compared to the same month last year [981f67d4].
However, deforestation in the Cerrado, the world's most biodiverse savanna located southeast of the Amazon, reached its highest level for the month of November since monitoring began in 2018. The government's actions have significantly reduced deforestation in the Amazon, but there are still many challenges to overcome. Conservation specialists emphasize the need to prioritize actions in the Cerrado, as its destruction threatens water security and agricultural production in Brazil [981f67d4].
In addition to these efforts, the United Kingdom has joined the international efforts to fund Amazon conservation by announcing an additional R215 million in funding. This funding is part of a 500 million reais donation agreement to the Amazon Fund, which was announced in May by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The fund has received a total of 3.4 billion reais and has financed over 102 projects to improve sustainable operations in the Amazon. The UK's contribution further strengthens the financial support for conservation efforts in the Amazon, joining countries like Norway, Germany, USA, and Switzerland as donors [c7133b11].
Furthermore, two years after the murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in the Brazilian Amazon, their families are still waiting for justice. The British journalist and the Brazilian Indigenous expert were killed on 5 June 2022 while investigating the criminal assault on the Javari valley, a rainforest home to uncontacted peoples. Three men, Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, Jefferson da Silva Lima, and Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, are awaiting trial for the murders. Two other men, Ruben Dario da Silva Villar and Jânio Freitas de Souza, have been charged in connection to the murders. Activists fear that powerful local politicians involved in the crime have not been sufficiently scrutinized. Despite a change in government, illegal activities such as mining and fishing continue to invade Indigenous territories in the Amazon. Indigenous activists in the Javari valley still face death threats [29e5246f].
Meanwhile, seven youth plaintiffs in Peru, ranging in age from 14 to 16, are fighting in court for climate action against Amazon deforestation and climate change. They argue that the state is violating their right to a healthy environment by failing to curb deforestation and mitigate climate change. The plaintiffs are seeking a concrete plan from the state for achieving net-zero deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon by 2025, as well as regional government plans that incorporate climate adaptation and mitigation measures. They also want the state to halt deforestation on public lands. The case, Álvarez et al v. Peru, was filed in 2019, and there is no clear timeline for a judicial ruling. The Peruvian youth face unique challenges in their fight for a stable climate in a Global South country. The case raises questions about countries' obligations to curb emissions and conserve natural resources. The growth of youth-led climate change lawsuits, such as the Fridays for Future movement, provides hope for their case and the potential for major policy change in Peru for Amazon conservation and climate action [dbe4735e].
In Indonesia's Sundarbans region, women who have lost family members to tiger attacks are coming together to advocate for their rights. The women, known as tiger widows, are building a campaign to address the socio-economic and gender-based deprivations they face as a result of the human-tiger conflict. The Calcutta High Court ordered compensation of ₹5 lakh each to two tiger widows, Sarojini Mondal and Saraswati Auliya, in January 2024. Gita Mriddha, a tiger widow and leader of the collective Sundarbans Baghra Bidhoba Samiti, is urging all women who have lost family members to tiger attacks to join the collective. The Sundarbans is the only mangrove forest in the world with a tiger population, and the region's residents often enter the forest for fishing, putting them at risk of tiger attacks. Activists argue that the State Forest Department's fishing passes are inadequate, and the limited economic opportunities in the region contribute to the vulnerability of the tiger widows. The tiger widows will participate in a discussion with representatives and NGOs working for widows in different countries, as well as members of the West Bengal Commission of Women, as part of Action Aid's Climate Justice Campaign. Efforts are being made to bring the tiger widows under social security schemes and ensure compensation for them, recognizing that they are victims of both the human-tiger conflict and climate change [2270963d].