30% of the Amazon is protected by Indigenous peoples

Spanning an area 75% of the size of Europe, at 1.5 billion acres, the Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and Indigenous peoples safeguard almost a third of it.

Protecting a rainforest area seven times the size of the UK isn’t just an impressive statistic, it’s conservation on a remarkable scale.

Why Indigenous protection works in the Amazon

There is no quick fix to protecting rainforests and no one size fits all approach. What is clear, however, is that rainforest protection led by the families and communities who know it inside out is the best chance we have.

Research over the last decade, including our own, shows that people living in the rainforest are the most effective stewards of these vital ecosystems. They’ve been doing it for millennia, after all.

When you support Cool Earth, you’re investing directly in Indigenous families. You’re backing them to continue protecting their rainforests, their homes, and our shared future.

Families like Abelardo’s. Cacao producer, fish farmer, forest monitor and father of 10, Abelardo is committed to safeguarding the future of his children.

What would happen if 30% of the Amazon was lost?  

Rainforests without the protection of Indigenous peoples are wide open to deforestation. If these families could no longer protect their lands, the consequences would be devastating.

Flipping from a carbon sink, the Amazon would become a major carbon source, triggering a dangerous climate feedback loop.

High tree loss would disrupt the forest’s crucial water cycle. With fewer trees, rainfall would decrease dramatically, creating a drier and more arid climate. Triggering more frequent forest fires that only further reduce tree cover and rainfall.

Ultimately, this vicious cycle would transform once- dense rainforest into a grassland savannah and hit the accelerator on global warming.

A chance to double your impact for Amazon protection is almost here. 

This Earth Day, from 22nd to 29th April 2025, Brother International and The Green Match fund are powering our matched-funded campaign to double your donations. Join us for a week of Amazon action.

Save the Date