Important paper published by our Kayapo team

By Matthew Aruch, ICFC Director of Indigenous Conservation Programs and Kayapo Program Development, Nov. 2024.

The Kayapo Project team recently published an article in the journal Regional Environmental Change. The article, Large-scale forest protection: the successful case of the Kayapo people in the Brazilian Amazon, details what can be learned from the success of the Kayapo Indigenous communities and their organizations in protecting more than nine million hectares of primary forest in one of the most threatened areas of the Brazilian Amazon.  

We used geographic information systems analysis to demonstrate the extent of forest protection, coupled with interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff working for the Kayapo NGOs. Using this data and a three-pillar framework for integrated landscape management (ecosystem integrity, effective planning, and strong governance), we found that the strong governance and effective planning of the Kayapo NGOs is key to the continued viability and success of the Kayapo Project.  We had seven conclusions and recommendations for other Indigenous-NGO alliances: 

Ensuring territorial integrity and rights 

Preserving culture 

Building strong partnerships 

Promoting equal access 

Ensuring meaningful participation 

Creating community-centered sources of income 

Achieving financial sustainability 

Read more: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-024-02304-6