The Amazon and tropical forests: its global implications and needed urgent actions

This concept note from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and FAPESP, submitted to the Belmont Forum Plenary, proposes a transdisciplinary and participatory initiative to address urgent threats to the Amazon region. The proposal emphasizes the link between biodiversity loss, climate change, and human health, while advocating for the protection of indigenous knowledge and the implementation of environmental governance frameworks.

• The Amazon region is a critical global asset, containing approximately 67% of the world's remaining tropical forests and accounting for 17% of global photosynthesis. It stores roughly 120 billion tons of carbon, which is equivalent to ten years of global fossil fuel combustion, and provides 20% of the freshwater supply to the ocean.
• The Amazon supports 38.7 million people, including 420 distinct indigenous peoples who speak 86 languages and 650 dialects. The destruction of these communities results in the loss of traditional knowledge essential for a holistic understanding of tropical forests.
• The ecosystem faces interconnected threats including climate change, deforestation, unregulated agriculture, illegal wildlife trade, and illegal gold mining. These pressures risk the release of thousands of unknown pathogens, linking biodiversity loss to emerging diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, Zika, and monkey pox.
• The proposed initiative seeks to coordinate actions supporting SDG 15 and various international conventions (including the UNFCCC and CITES) through a transdisciplinary approach. It aims to enhance institutional capacities at local, municipal, and state levels and focuses on regional and global cooperation to manage the Amazon, which spans multiple countries.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2022). The Amazon and tropical forests: its global implications and needed urgent actions. http://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20note%202022-06-22-IAI-FAPESP.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. The Amazon and tropical forests: its global implications and needed urgent actions. 2022. http://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20note%202022-06-22-IAI-FAPESP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=The Amazon and tropical forests: its global implications and needed urgent actions |date=22 June 2022 |url=http://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20note%202022-06-22-IAI-FAPESP.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2022amazon, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{The Amazon and tropical forests: its global implications and needed urgent actions}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {http://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20note%202022-06-22-IAI-FAPESP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }