Indigenous lands hold the world’s healthiest forests – but only when their rights are protected

A few meters from the monocultures of the multinational, an inhabitant keeps a small natural forest on his property. The fertility of the land has allowed diverse flora to grow and produce a prosperous biodiverse landscape. Residents say this is very different from monoculture pine and eucalyptus plantations where no plant diversity can be found.

The world’s healthiest tropical forests are located in protected Indigenous areas (PIAs), according to a new study. “After accounting for location biases […], protected-Indigenous areas had the highest protective effect on forest integrity and the lowest land-use intensity relative to Indigenous lands, protected areas, and non-protected controls,” said the authors of the study published in … Continue reading Indigenous lands hold the world’s healthiest forests – but only when their rights are protected