This is the environmental “red alert” in the Amazon. 26% of the planet’s green lung ecosystem is irreversibly destroyed due to deforestation, drug trafficking and contamination, indigenous leaders meeting in Lima, Peru warned on Tuesday.
“For us, announcing that the Amazon is 26% contaminated and destroyed is very alarming,” Venezuelan Gregorio Mirabal, head of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (Coica), told AFP. represents 3.5 million Aboriginal people living in this region.
“This is a red alert telling us that if we do nothing now, we will not achieve the 2030 development goals or those of the major agreements reached at the COP in Glasgow”, assured Mr. Mirabal, 54 years old , proudly wearing a crown of red and yellow feathers.
Gathered for the 5e First Nations summit, Amazonian leaders and investigators from the nine countries presented a report showing that the Amazon is at a point of no return due to high rates of deforestation and degradation which, combined, now represent 26% of the region.
The remaining 74% require immediate protection, the report says.
“Governments said they would save the Amazon, but in view of these figures, it is clear that they are not keeping their promises,” said the leader of the people Wakuenai Kurripaco.
“The temperature will rise by two degrees if deforestation continues at this rate,” he warned.
According to Gregorio Mirabal, there are some 511 indigenous peoples in this region of the world and 500 different languages are spoken there.
Another issue discussed at the summit: the assassination of Amazon defenders and leaders, which amounts to more than 280 in the nine countries covered by this tropical forest.
“The Amazon is suffering because we are being invaded by logging, oil companies and those who attack our territories. We want to call for help,” Brazilian Marciely Tupari, from the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon, told AFP.
The nine Amazon countries are Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname.