Land Rights
Indonesian project shows how climate funding can — and should — go directly to IPLCs
JAKARTA — Suryani grew up in a family of farmers on the island of Java in Indonesia. Her parents are members of a farmer’s union called SPP. The land they live and farm on isn’t titled, so Suryani knows very well the importance of having farmers’ land rights recognized and protected. Yet she’s also seen […]
Chemical spill in Nicaraguan reserve raises questions about industrial mining regulations
A recent chemical spill in a protected reserve in northern Nicaragua is raising concerns about the contamination of several river ecosystems and the public health fallout for thousands of Indigenous people living nearby. Earlier this month, chemicals believed to be cyanide leaked from a processing plant run by Colombian gold mining company Hemco in Bonanza, […]
Mexico approves mining reforms to protect environment, Indigenous people
MEXICO CITY — A major reform approved by congress last week is supposed to limit harmful practices by the mining industry and improve protections for the environment and Indigenous peoples. But some parts of the reform faced strong resistance from pro-business interests, resulting in a watered-down version that some environmentalists said doesn’t go far enough. […]
More evidence backs Indigenous territories as best safeguard against Amazon deforestation
Protected areas and Indigenous territories in the Amazon Rainforest experienced just one-third the amount of primary forest loss as non-protected areas, according to a new report. The Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), a U.S.-based nonprofit, examined primary forest loss across the entire Amazon biome between 2017 and 2021. Over the five-year study period, […]
Ecuador banned gas flaring over a year ago. Why is it still happening?
A court in Ecuador ordered oil companies to stop the hazardous practice of burning natural gas at extraction sites because it was a major driver of cancer and other illnesses in nearby communities. But nearly two years have passed since that ruling, and oil companies are burning more natural gas than ever. In September 2021, […]
Indonesian Indigenous group AMAN wins Skoll Award for defending land rights
JAKARTA — The Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), the main advocacy group for Indigenous communities in Indonesia, has won a 2023 Skoll Award for Social Innovation. Since its establishment in 1999, AMAN has been advocating for Indigenous rights to prevent communities from having their lands stolen. The main issue currently facing Indigenous communities […]
Climate change lawsuits take aim at French bank BNP Paribas
One of Europe’s biggest banks is facing two ambitious new lawsuits that claim it finances some of the worst contributors to environmental destruction and climate change. French bank BNP Paribas is being sued by a group of environmental and human rights advocacy groups that allege it provides financial services to oil and gas companies as […]
Chinese investment continues to hurt Latin American ecosystems, report says
MEXICO CITY — China has taken a special interest in deepening ties with Latin America over the last twenty years. It’s provided well over $100 billion in loans for the construction of hundreds of local infrastructure projects, from electric grids and trains to bridges and roads. It’s funded new oil fields and the mining of […]
Is El Salvador preparing to reverse its landmark mining ban?
MEXICO CITY — It was considered a major environmental victory, back in 2017, when El Salvador’s government announced it would be the first country in the world to issue a total ban on metal mining. For a half-century, the industry had been dumping waste and toxic chemicals into local rivers. Prioritizing clean drinking water was […]
Historic EU law against deforestation-linked imports ignores Brazil’s Cerrado
Officials and NGOs have hailed the European Union’s agreement on a law banning the import of commodities associated with deforestation, but say it falls short of protecting areas typically not considered forests yet nevertheless of huge ecological importance. Among the responses to the law are that it’s a “landmark,” “groundbreaking,” “radical,” a “great opportunity” for […]