The Amazon biome is a vital global climate regulator. It is home to 47 million people, including 2.2 million Indigenous Peoples. The region is threatened by rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, extreme weather, and deforestation. Seventeen per cent of the forest is already lost, and another 17 per cent is degraded. Weak governance is exacerbating risks. The region is nearing a potential tipping point: if deforestation reaches 20 to 25 per cent, the forest could irreversibly shift to a savannah-like ecosystem, unleashing massive carbon emissions, destabilising rainfall patterns, and eroding biodiversity. Vulnerable communities are at the centre of both the challenges and the solutions.

The Amazonia Viva Programme aims to reduce over 8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over 30 years and enhance climate resilience for three million people across six countries. It targets Indigenous Peoples, persons of African descent, women, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The project targets 183 million hectares of protected areas (out of 776 million hectares in the basin) and 45.6 million hectares of Indigenous Peoples’ territories (out of 237 million hectares) for improved low-emission and/or climate-resilient management.

The programme focuses on territories with low human development indicators, poverty, limited infrastructure, and a high dependence on natural resources. This combination leaves Indigenous Peoples and local communities vulnerable to climate shocks and systemic exclusion from markets, finance, and decision-making. To address these challenges, the programme strengthens land tenure and rights, promotes sustainable land use such as agroforestry, enhances food security and resilience, and fosters participatory governance. It also tackles financial barriers by providing technical assistance, institutional support, and dedicated financing windows for sustainable value chains, including measures to overcome gender-specific obstacles in access to credit.