The best way to protect the planet is to save the indigenous people who defend their ancestral lands

The best way to protect the planet is to save the indigenous people who defend their ancestral lands

Indigenous tribes have always preserved the Earth's biodiversity, but are increasingly at risk of extinction. To save the planet we must first of all protect them

It has been talked about for some time now: to protect biodiversity, the UN is planning to transform 30% of the planet into protected areas over the next 8 years. The goal would be to allow ecosystems to have time to regenerate and find a new balance by 2050. Undoubtedly an ambitious project, but is it really needed? Rather, it would be appropriate to stop the wild deforestation that is destroying areas of vital importance for biodiversity such as the Amazon and above all to safeguard those indigenous peoples who for centuries have taken care of nature with great commitment and respect.





The UN plan to combat the loss of biodiversity

But what exactly does the UN project envisage? As anticipated, the plan - also known as 30 × 30 - aims to place 30% of the surface surfaces and oceans of our planet under protection. At the moment about 15% of the land and 10% of the seas are protected. According to a recent IUCN report, on our planet there are about 200 thousand protected areas, which cover almost 20 million square kilometers and most of them belong to Latin America.

The 30 × 30 project was the subject of the Convention on Biological Diversity, better known as COP15, which was held in Kunming (China) in 2021. With the Kunming Declaration, the participating countries decided to commit to implementing a series of restoration policies by 2030, underlining the urgency of halting the loss of biodiversity through the establishment of new protected areas. At the moment, however, there is still no precise timetable and most likely it will be defined in the summit scheduled in the coming weeks.

An alternative solution to the 30 × 30 floor

But is the 30 × 3 plan really the best solution to preserve biodiversity? In reality, this project presents some critical issues, especially for the indigenous peoples who reside in the areas in question. The Survival International movement, which has been fighting for the protection of indigenous peoples for years, warns of the risks. According to Survival International, in fact, the United Nations plan "will involve the grabbing of many indigenous lands and their transformation into militarized national reserves or parks where evictions, killings, torture and rape are the order of the day."

Instead of tackling the real causes of environmental destruction and who is most responsible for it (the growing over-consumption and exploitation of natural resources for profit driven by the global North) - the movement underlines - these measures will affect indigenous peoples above all. Indigenous peoples make up about 6% of the world's population, yet 80% of the most biodiverse places on Earth are found in their territories. They have protected the planet better than anyone else and are least responsible for environmental destruction, but paradoxically the highest price will be charged to them.



In fact, the indigenous people represent by far the best custodians of biodiversity. This is confirmed by several studies, including one that appeared a few months ago in the journal Proceeding of the National Academy of Science, which reveals how a region of the western Amazon rainforest has remained practically unchanged over the course of 5 millennia, despite human settlements. .

The natives of the Amazon region know very well how to live sustainably and it is from them that we should learn to live in harmony with nature. Unfortunately, however, indigenous tribes are increasingly victims of violence and at risk of extermination, especially in the Amazon. Since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in Brazil deforestation it has reached record levels and the country has taken huge steps backwards in terms of protecting the territorial rights of indigenous peoples, whose territories are being sold off to mining and timber companies. In general silence they are murdered by drug and timber traffickers. They are now far from safe and consequently can no longer defend biodiversity, as they have always done by making a gift to humanity and the environment.

If we really want to safeguard our Planet, the first step is to protect these keepers of ancestral lands who discreetly carry out a great mission.


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