Into The Forest

In small delegation rooms and corners of this COP conference, a storm is brewing. A storm of equality, a storm of the highest importance. It is the IPO or the indigenous people's organization. The IPO is, like many constituencies at the COP, a  group of nongovernmental organizations or NGOs. The purpose of the IPO is to amplify the voices of indigenous people in the climate change negotiations and to ensure that indigenous peoples of all lands, but specifically the lands that are in danger of being destroyed or taken away from the indigenous people, are protected. They also work with indigenous groups to acquire funds from places such as the Green Fund and other sources of climate change related funding. The IPO has begun work on one proposition in particular that is very interesting and innovative in the area of environmental policy and land use.

 The Peruvian organization of indigenous peoples or AIDESEP, has begun work on a movement and proposal to ask for 2 land corridors, 15 million hectares of land in eastern Peru, to be protected for the indigenous people that live there, both contacted and uncontacted. (Uncontacted people are groups of people who have not made contact with the outside world. In other words, have remained isolated from the rest of the world up until this point.) These two corridors are a new, innovative idea at the COP, as they are being proposed for the protection of untouched indigenous people, something that the Peruvian government is likely to accept. However if the same two corridors were proposed to the Peruvian government as natural and wild lands they would most likely turn it down. 

The Indigenous Peoples pavillion in the Bonn Zone at COP23

The benefits that would come from the corridors being made a reality would be huge. For example if the corridors are implemented they would protect an extremely important part of the entire Amazon rainforest. This is where the headwaters of the tributaries of the Amazon river are found. If these areas become protected from external activities and deforestation it would effectively protect much of the Amazon river basin and the organisms that depend on it. If this area was deforested and farms were put into place the immense runoff and resulting devaluation of the Amazonian river valley and watershed would be unprecedented. Another extremely important benefit is the amount of carbon that is and could be sequestered, taken out of the atmosphere and stored in the trees and vegetation of this absolutely gargantuan carbon sink. Possibly one of the most talked about topics at this COP is carbon recapturing. This large area of land, if it becomes protected, would mean one of the largest carbon sinks on earth, the Amazon, would continue to make a significant contribution to reducing atmospheric carbon, and remain a green, sustainable and protected environment. 

So off into the forest we go. The adventure is long with many a winding turn: who knows where we will go next?

Griffin P.