In the Brazilian Amazon, indigenous peoples hold a significant portion of the local forest. Their Lands as a whole cover approximately 110 million hectares and contain about 30% of forest carbon in the region, which corresponds to something around 13 billion tons of carbon. This is equivalent to about a year of global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). These territories play a key role in stopping the encroachment of deforestation in the region. Therefore, they play an extremely important role in the conservation of biodiversity and to achieve the GHG emissions reduction targets undertaken by Brazil through the law that established the National Policy on Climate Change (PNMC, Law n° 12,187/2009).
Developing social and environmental safeguards for REDD+: a guide for a bottom-up approach
This guide describes a process for developing REDD+ socio and environmental safeguards in Brazil that is based on a broad participation of all parties involved. The discussion process included the private sector, environmental organizations, representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities, smallholders, and research institutions.