The Amazon fires are wreaking catastrophic havoc on biodiversity, resulting in the deaths of millions of animals and endangering Indigenous territories, while also posing a significant threat to global climate stability.
This escalating environmental, humanitarian, and climate crisis demands urgent action from both Amazonian governments and the international community. In just three Brazilian Amazon states, fires have consumed an alarming 5.4 million hectares (54,000 sq. km.), and Peru has recorded unprecedented levels of forest fires, with over 1,800 alerts issued. Bolivia has reported more than 17,700 fire points this year, the highest number recorded in the first half of any year. In July, the Brazilian Amazon saw 11,500 fires, which surged to 38,000 in August—marking the highest totals in two decades. Last month, the worst-affected region of the Brazilian Amazon became the largest emitter of CO2 globally, worsening the climate crisis that has already led to historic droughts in the area, creating a vicious cycle of destruction.
While there has been a recent decline in deforestation rates in the Amazon—indicating some positive trends—the severe drought and rampant fires continue to devastate animal and plant biodiversity, threatening the survival of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities who depend on this crucial ecosystem. In Peru, more than 87 Indigenous territories have been affected by fires, while in Brazil, fires on Indigenous lands surged by 39% between 2023 and 2024, accounting for 24% of all Brazilian Amazon blazes this year. Over 1.3 million hectares (13,000 sq. km.) of federally-protected Indigenous territories have been reduced to ashes.
Unlike previous years, when Amazon fires primarily impacted degraded forests, many of this year’s blazes are occurring in remote areas of primary forest. Natural phenomena such as El Niño have intensified due to climate change, leaving the Amazon rainforest weakened and more susceptible to harmful human activities like road construction, logging, land grabbing, cattle ranching, mining, and poorly planned infrastructure development. These actions are placing additional stress on ecosystems, contributing to droughts and fires. Authorities in affected countries have also indicated that criminal arson is partly to blame for this year’s fires.
As these environmental and climate crises unfold, the Amazon remains one of the most dangerous regions for Earth Defenders. Indigenous guardians face disproportionate violence and repression, with one in five murders of defenders worldwide occurring in the Amazon in 2022. The region is increasingly a battleground for organized crime syndicates contributing to environmental degradation and human rights violations.
Amazon Watch stands in solidarity with affected Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, urging the governments of Amazonian nations and the international community—particularly those with strong political and economic ties to the region—to take immediate action to address this crisis. These frontline defenders of the Amazon have long demonstrated their profound connection to the land and unparalleled understanding of its ecosystems, making their leadership vital for any meaningful and sustainable solutions.
In Brazil, the Lula government must honor its commitments to Indigenous rights by urgently proceeding with the demarcation of Indigenous lands. This action is not only a constitutional duty but also a crucial message to destructive actors, including the agribusiness sector, extractive industries, and criminal networks, signaling that the federal government prioritizes governance and the welfare of the Amazon’s guardians in an increasingly lawless environment.
In Peru, the rise of industrial and illicit agribusinesses—including palm oil, illegal logging, gold mining, and drug trafficking—is driving unprecedented deforestation and fires. To combat this, the government must repeal anti-forest laws and curtail the growth of illegal economies while also recognizing and protecting Indigenous land and communities from escalating violence.
In Bolivia, the country’s “incendiary laws,” which classify forests as “idle” land awaiting conversion for agro-industrial purposes, must be re-evaluated in light of the environmental crisis these policies are causing. An urgent step would involve banning the expansion of industrial agriculture into new areas and enforcing strict regulations on agribusiness and land zoning practices.
The ongoing fires pose a grave threat to the future of the Amazon rainforest, which is vital to the Earth’s weather system and climate regulation. The destruction of this biome affects us all, but it is Indigenous and traditional communities who are suffering the most as they lose their homes, cultural heritage, and ways of life.
We demand that the governments of Amazonian countries:
- Declare an environmental emergency and provide immediate financial and logistical support for firefighting efforts and recovery in affected areas.
- Establish permanent, well-resourced forest protection programs co-designed and led by Indigenous and traditional communities, including collective land titling initiatives.
- End policies, projects, and financial investments that promote deforestation, land grabbing, and harmful industrial expansion in the Amazon.
- Uphold the land rights of Indigenous peoples and protect these rights from political attacks, as their leadership is essential for maintaining the rainforest’s health.
- Implement well-resourced programs that effectively protect environmental human rights defenders and community leaders at risk.
- Develop improved national and cross-border security strategies in coordination with Indigenous peoples and local communities to curtail organized crime’s influence.
We also urge the international community to:
- Provide significant funding to Amazonian countries to finance well-resourced forest protection programs co-designed and led by Indigenous and traditional communities.
- Apply diplomatic pressure on Amazonian countries to take urgent and effective measures to contain the fires and diminish the influence of their drivers.
- Ensure that the financial sector ceases to invest in and support companies and projects that destroy vital ecosystems, contribute to rising global emissions, and violate human rights, thereby threatening the lives of Indigenous and traditional communities.
Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director of Amazon Watch, stated:
“It is heartbreaking to witness the fires raging across South America’s essential ecosystems—the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado tropical savannah, Pantanal wetlands, and Gran Chaco—endangering communities, biodiversity, and our global climate. This is a climate, environmental, and humanitarian emergency that requires immediate action from national and global governments during next week’s UN General Assembly and Climate Week in New York. Failure to act swiftly brings the Amazon closer to a tipping point, threatening our collective climate future.
In response, as we did in 2019, Amazon Watch has established an Amazon Fire Response Fund to support Indigenous Fire Brigades, provide emergency humanitarian relief to affected Indigenous and traditional communities, and advance Indigenous land rights while challenging destructive development projects in critical areas.”
Julio Cusurichi, a Shipibo leader and member of the National Council of AIDESEP in Peru, added:
“Fires in the Peruvian Amazon have encroached upon Indigenous territories. In addition to facing invasions by third parties, we now contend with forest fires that threaten to further devastate the region. We have long warned that extractive industries are exacerbating climate change and directly impacting Amazonian territories, particularly for Indigenous peoples. We urgently call for logistical support to respond to and prevent further fires in the Peruvian Amazon.”