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Hear stories from the forest defenders working in the field.

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Indigenous Peoples &amp; Local Communities

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Peru

Peru | Global Forest Watch Blog

Isabela Barriga

David Gibbs

Cameron Ellis

Indigenous Peoples and local communities <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/4-ways-indigenous-and-community-lands-can-reduce-emissions#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20research%20by%20WRI,not%20managed%20by%20indigenous%20peoples." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">play a crucial role</a> in protecting forests and the areas they manage tend to experience <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cobi.14195" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower deforestation</a> rates than other forests. In fact, forests managed by Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon Basin are some of the <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/amazon-carbon-sink-indigenous-forests" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most effective carbon sinks</a> on the planet. By maintaining these forests, they actively contribute to global climate change mitigation efforts.



New climate financing mechanisms are creating opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to generate revenue to support the long-term stewardship of their ancestral lands and forest resources. However, communities often lack access to the data and tools required to quantify forest carbon fluxes (emissions from forest loss and disturbance, and removals due to plant growth) and communicate their contributions in ways recognized by these mechanisms.



To help communities supply such data, Global Forest Watch (GFW) offers accessible, open-source maps and statistics on forest carbon fluxes. GFW’s interactive <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/?map=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&mapMenu=eyJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6ImRhdGFzZXRzIiwiZGF0YXNldENhdGVnb3J5IjoiY2xpbWF0ZSJ9">emissions, removals and net flux maps</a>, with associated statistics, support action unlike any other forest carbon monitoring system. The maps are updated annually, allowing communities to tell the carbon story behind every pixel of forest. &nbsp;



Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS), a non-profit organization dedicated to securing Indigenous Peoples’ land rights across Central and South America, is working with Indigenous communities and their allies to use this data and information to access climate financing opportunities. Since 2016, RFUS has worked alongside Indigenous communities to leverage tools like GFW data to detect and stop land invasions in their territories. This has resulted in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015171118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant reductions in deforestation</a> around some communities.



More recently, RFUS has collaborated with communities to interpret and apply GFW’s forest carbon data to help them access climate finance and participate in carbon-related decision-making. In recent years, GFW data on carbon fluxes has been an integral part of RFUS’ programming and advocacy for Indigenous Peoples’ rights.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep2024_Titulacion-Carococha_079_Sebastian-Castaneda-2048x1365.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19529" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep2024_Titulacion-Carococha_079_Sebastian-Castaneda-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep2024_Titulacion-Carococha_079_Sebastian-Castaneda-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep2024_Titulacion-Carococha_079_Sebastian-Castaneda-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep2024_Titulacion-Carococha_079_Sebastian-Castaneda-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Titling teams map and demarcate community boundaries in Carcocha, Peru. Credit Sebastian Castañeda</figcaption></figure>



Read on to learn more about two case studies where RFUS is working with Indigenous communities to use GFW’s carbon monitoring data to strengthen the protection of their forests and rights.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Direct payments program as an alternative to carbon markets</h2>



External incentives can help communities carry out forest monitoring more consistently and effectively. They also help finance essential infrastructure and services, such as electricity, latrines and clean water systems, allowing communities to avoid turning to activities that drive deforestation, such as mining or commercial agriculture, and instead pursue livelihoods that keep forests standing and sequestering carbon.



To help provide these incentives, RFUS established a direct payments fund with support from private donors to compensate 32 communities in Ecuador and northern Peru for protecting over 350,000 hectares of standing tropical forest. For approximately two years, communities conducted forest patrols, documented evidence of land incursions and filed legal complaints to protect their territories. In this innovative direct payment program — which was independent of the carbon market and did not issue carbon credits — RFUS used GFW’s tree cover, tree cover loss, <a href="https://gfw.global/3tauzVt">forest carbon removals</a> and <a href="https://gfw.global/47iENb6">net forest carbon flux</a> data to estimate the carbon sequestered by communities’ forests.



By using the custom area analysis tool on <a href="https://gfw.global/4bOp721">GFW’s dashboard</a>, RFUS was able to quickly and easily estimate the standing forest area and carbon sequestration rates within the forests of participating communities. This data enabled RFUS and participating communities to quantify the climate benefits of their forests, providing a clear rationale for the payments. Based on this information, communities received 10 soles (~$4 USD) per hectare of standing forest per year, commensurate with Peru’s national forest payments program, Probosques.



Unlike carbon credits, these payments were not tied to reductions in emissions or reforestation. Instead, these payments were designed to recognize, support and honor communities’ continued stewardship of their forests. The only conditions attached to the payments were that the resulting projects had to benefit communities and receive full community approval. Furthermore, funds could not be used for activities that contributed to deforestation, and communities had to maintain deforestation rates within their recent average.&nbsp; &nbsp;



Communities used these funds to invest in priority projects such as continuing their traditional agricultural practices and initiatives, constructing solar panel arrays, sanitation systems, potable water systems, communal boats and sustainable economic development projects. The unique nature of this program — making payments directly to communities based on public GFW carbon monitoring data — gave communities greater autonomy and agency to invest in and manage the projects they chose.



In the Peru-Colombia-Brazil tri-border area, Ticuna communities used the funds to advance their land titling efforts. By using the funds to cover the costs of surveyors and legal support, the communities <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frainforestfoundation.org%2Fhow-climate-finance-can-reach-indigenous-peoples-and-local-communities%2F&data=05%7C02%7CPaige.Johnson%40wri.org%7C5904f82b68234045a96408ddefd86e63%7C476bac1f36b24ad98699cda6bad1f862%7C0%7C0%7C638930435315519121%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ULYpl8%2BqV%2Fn3NyG3RyYnQvvMuPiBB0P5lns2AaggRvE%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">secured an additional 45,000 hectares</a> of titled land, creating a contiguous Ticuna territory along the banks of the Amazon River. They are also piloting a collaborative titling effort with the regional government of Loreto that has since expanded across the state of Loreto, 59 territories, and over 100,000 hectares in three years.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2048" height="1538" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_0863-2048x1538.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19530" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_0863-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_0863-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_0863-768x577.jpg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_0863-1536x1153.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Titling ceremony in Loreto, Peru. Credit: Daniel Tuesta</figcaption></figure>



Across the border in Ecuador, the Indigenous community of Sarayaku is one of the largest territories to receive these direct payments, which they have used to invest directly in their “life plan,” or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw0EBmUON0K/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kawsak Sacha</a>, which in Kichwa means “The Living Forest.” This reflects the Sarayaku’s philosophy of being an integral part of the forest ecosystem, as well as their vision for the future. While the funding available through this program did not cover all elements of the life plan, the funds and decisions were managed autonomously by the Sarayaku communities. They focused primarily on community infrastructure projects that resulted in significant improvements in the quality of life for community members.



Samai Gualinga, Vice President of the Sarayaku community, said of the direct payments program: “a new standard of fair compensation and retribution is being created … it’s necessary to seek our own ways of monitoring our territory … to have our own databases … to show how much biodiversity and carbon we have … we need economic funds to support the families working on our monitoring projects.”



Scaling this direct payment program across the Amazon Basin may be difficult. However, the flexibility of GFW data allowed RFUS to put climate financing directly in the hands of Indigenous Peoples and support locally-led climate finance outside of carbon markets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Informing community roles in national carbon credit deals</h2>



In 2022, the national government of Guyana signed a <a href="https://carboncredits.com/hess-signs-750m-redd-carbon-credits-deal-with-guyana/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jurisdictional REDD+</a> deal to sell $750 million worth of carbon credits from reducing deforestation in the country (REDD+ is a <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/land-use/workstreams/redd/what-is-redd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">framework</a> for paying developing countries when they reduce emissions from deforestation). Guyana was the first country to sell carbon credits at the national level and the deal requires that the revenue from the sale of credits are distributed to communities around the country through a process of <a href="https://blog.aspiration.com/benefit-sharing-voluntary-carbon-market/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">benefits sharing</a>. Under this deal, 242 Indigenous communities opted in to receive the proposed 15% share of the benefits from the sale to support community led projects.



RFUS uses GFW forest carbon data to help inform communities in Guyana about how forests emit and sequester carbon, how these can be estimated and monitored, and to calculate the amount of carbon being sequestered on both titled and customary lands. While RFUS and local partners such as the Amerindian People’s Association are not using GFW’s data to dispute Guyana’s national REDD+ calculations, GFW data informs Indigenous organizations on how the contributions of their communities are <a href="https://www.development-today.com/archive/2023/dt-2--2023/carbon-certifier-admits-that-key-indigenous-complaints-were-not-on-the-table-when-credits-were-issued-to-guyana-last-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">or are not</a> reflected in the benefit sharing program.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2048" height="1536" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3115-2048x1536.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-19527" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3115-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3115-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3115-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3115-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Patamona woman cooks cassava in Guyana’s North Pakaraimas mountain range. Credit RFUS</figcaption></figure>



For example, in the South Rupununi region of Guyana, of the 2.9 million hectares of customary Indigenous land in Wapichan Wiizi, around 590,000 hectares have been formally recognized by the government. The unrecognized Indigenous lands account for the bulk of the area and an even higher percentage of the territory’s forests since many Guyanese land titles were granted primarily for savanna areas rather than for forests. The South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/aoi/642b3e00493227001be0b2cf/?category=climate&map=eyJjYW5Cb3VuZCI6dHJ1ZX0%3D&widget=carbonFlux">uploaded their land claim</a> (delineated over years of community mapping) to GFW and saw that just their customary territory alone accounts for nearly 10% of Guyana’s overall annual carbon sequestration. This and other WRI data have generated key figures for ongoing collaborative discussions between the SRDC and the government of Guyana regarding formal recognition of these customary lands and potential designation of the area as a community conserved area.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06626-2048x1365.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19526" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06626-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06626-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06626-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06626-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Indigenous communities in Guyana’s rugged interior often contain a mix of dense forests and tropical savannas. Credit RFUS</figcaption></figure>



“Carbon and carbon sequestration are abstract concepts that can easily get lost in national policy discussions and financial transactions,” said Linburg Pearson, Mapping and Monitoring Leader at Amerindian People’s Association. “GFW data has helped us understand the role that specific communities and lands play in regard to carbon emissions and sequestration.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Democratizing data helps make forest protection more equitable</h2>



GFW’s open-source data is helping to promote transparency and broaden access by making critical information on forests and carbon emissions and sequestration accessible to communities. This helps bridge the gap between Indigenous communities and sources of finance, creating more equitable and just opportunities.



In this vein, GFW’s forest carbon monitoring data has been an important resource for RFUS and the communities they work with, illustrating how free, global carbon emissions and sequestration maps can support forest monitoring on a community level and improved outcomes for communities. These examples from Indigenous and local communities effectively using the carbon data to improve their livelihoods and democratize data can shed light on how to create more equitable and responsive financial mechanisms that prioritize the needs and rights of forest protectors.







This work builds on WRI’s broader commitment to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities in securing rights, protecting forests and strengthening climate resilience. <a href="https://www.wri.org/equitable-development/indigenous-peoples-local-communities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn more here</a> about how GFW and WRI are supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities.



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Forest Carbon Data Helps Communities Benefit Financially from their Forests

Indigenous Peoples and local communities <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/4-ways-indigenous-and-community-lands-can-reduce-emissions#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20research%20by%20WRI,not%20managed%20by%20indigenous%20peoples." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">play a crucial role</a> in protecting forests and the areas they manage tend to experience <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cobi.14195" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower deforestation</a> rates than other forests. In fact, forests managed by Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon Basin are some of the <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/amazon-carbon-sink-indigenous-forests" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most effective carbon sinks</a> on the planet. By maintaining these forests, they actively contribute to global climate change mitigation efforts.



New climate financing mechanisms are creating opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to generate revenue to support the long-term stewardship of their ancestral lands and forest resources. However, communities often lack access to the data and tools required to quantify forest carbon fluxes (emissions from forest loss and disturbance, and removals due to plant growth) and communicate their contributions in ways recognized by these mechanisms.



To help communities supply such data, Global Forest Watch (GFW) offers accessible, open-source maps and statistics on forest carbon fluxes. GFW’s interactive <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/?map=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&amp;mapMenu=eyJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6ImRhdGFzZXRzIiwiZGF0YXNldENhdGVnb3J5IjoiY2xpbWF0ZSJ9">emissions, removals and net flux maps</a>, with associated statistics, support action unlike any other forest carbon monitoring system. The maps are updated annually, allowing communities to tell the carbon story behind every pixel of forest. &nbsp;



Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS), a non-profit organization dedicated to securing Indigenous Peoples’ land rights across Central and South America, is working with Indigenous communities and their allies to use this data and information to access climate financing opportunities. Since 2016, RFUS has worked alongside Indigenous communities to leverage tools like GFW data to detect and stop land invasions in their territories. This has resulted in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015171118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant reductions in deforestation</a> around some communities.



More recently, RFUS has collaborated with communities to interpret and apply GFW’s forest carbon data to help them access climate finance and participate in carbon-related decision-making. In recent years, GFW data on carbon fluxes has been an integral part of RFUS’ programming and advocacy for Indigenous Peoples’ rights.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep2024_Titulacion-Carococha_079_Sebastian-Castaneda-2048x1365.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19529"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Titling teams map and demarcate community boundaries in Carcocha, Peru. Credit Sebastian Castañeda</figcaption></figure>



Read on to learn more about two case studies where RFUS is working with Indigenous communities to use GFW's carbon monitoring data to strengthen the protection of their forests and rights.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Direct payments program as an alternative to carbon markets</h2>



External incentives can help communities carry out forest monitoring more consistently and effectively. They also help finance essential infrastructure and services, such as electricity, latrines and clean water systems, allowing communities to avoid turning to activities that drive deforestation, such as mining or commercial agriculture, and instead pursue livelihoods that keep forests standing and sequestering carbon.



To help provide these incentives, RFUS established a direct payments fund with support from private donors to compensate 32 communities in Ecuador and northern Peru for protecting over 350,000 hectares of standing tropical forest. For approximately two years, communities conducted forest patrols, documented evidence of land incursions and filed legal complaints to protect their territories. In this innovative direct payment program — which was independent of the carbon market and did not issue carbon credits — RFUS used GFW’s tree cover, tree cover loss, <a href="https://gfw.global/3tauzVt">forest carbon removals</a> and <a href="https://gfw.global/47iENb6">net forest carbon flux</a> data to estimate the carbon sequestered by communities’ forests.



By using the custom area analysis tool on <a href="https://gfw.global/4bOp721">GFW’s dashboard</a>, RFUS was able to quickly and easily estimate the standing forest area and carbon sequestration rates within the forests of participating communities. This data enabled RFUS and participating communities to quantify the climate benefits of their forests, providing a clear rationale for the payments. Based on this information, communities received 10 soles (~$4 USD) per hectare of standing forest per year, commensurate with Peru’s national forest payments program, Probosques.



Unlike carbon credits, these payments were not tied to reductions in emissions or reforestation. Instead, these payments were designed to recognize, support and honor communities’ continued stewardship of their forests. The only conditions attached to the payments were that the resulting projects had to benefit communities and receive full community approval. Furthermore, funds could not be used for activities that contributed to deforestation, and communities had to maintain deforestation rates within their recent average.&nbsp; &nbsp;



Communities used these funds to invest in priority projects such as continuing their traditional agricultural practices and initiatives, constructing solar panel arrays, sanitation systems, potable water systems, communal boats and sustainable economic development projects. The unique nature of this program — making payments directly to communities based on public GFW carbon monitoring data — gave communities greater autonomy and agency to invest in and manage the projects they chose.



In the Peru-Colombia-Brazil tri-border area, Ticuna communities used the funds to advance their land titling efforts. By using the funds to cover the costs of surveyors and legal support, the communities <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frainforestfoundation.org%2Fhow-climate-finance-can-reach-indigenous-peoples-and-local-communities%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CPaige.Johnson%40wri.org%7C5904f82b68234045a96408ddefd86e63%7C476bac1f36b24ad98699cda6bad1f862%7C0%7C0%7C638930435315519121%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ULYpl8%2BqV%2Fn3NyG3RyYnQvvMuPiBB0P5lns2AaggRvE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">secured an additional 45,000 hectares</a> of titled land, creating a contiguous Ticuna territory along the banks of the Amazon River. They are also piloting a collaborative titling effort with the regional government of Loreto that has since expanded across the state of Loreto, 59 territories, and over 100,000 hectares in three years.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_0863-2048x1538.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19530"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Titling ceremony in Loreto, Peru. Credit: Daniel Tuesta</figcaption></figure>



Across the border in Ecuador, the Indigenous community of Sarayaku is one of the largest territories to receive these direct payments, which they have used to invest directly in their “life plan,” or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw0EBmUON0K/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kawsak Sacha</a>, which in Kichwa means “The Living Forest.” This reflects the Sarayaku’s philosophy of being an integral part of the forest ecosystem, as well as their vision for the future. While the funding available through this program did not cover all elements of the life plan, the funds and decisions were managed autonomously by the Sarayaku communities. They focused primarily on community infrastructure projects that resulted in significant improvements in the quality of life for community members.



Samai Gualinga, Vice President of the Sarayaku community, said of the direct payments program: “a new standard of fair compensation and retribution is being created … it’s necessary to seek our own ways of monitoring our territory … to have our own databases … to show how much biodiversity and carbon we have … we need economic funds to support the families working on our monitoring projects.”



Scaling this direct payment program across the Amazon Basin may be difficult. However, the flexibility of GFW data allowed RFUS to put climate financing directly in the hands of Indigenous Peoples and support locally-led climate finance outside of carbon markets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Informing community roles in national carbon credit deals</h2>



In 2022, the national government of Guyana signed a <a href="https://carboncredits.com/hess-signs-750m-redd-carbon-credits-deal-with-guyana/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jurisdictional REDD+</a> deal to sell $750 million worth of carbon credits from reducing deforestation in the country (REDD+ is a <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/land-use/workstreams/redd/what-is-redd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">framework</a> for paying developing countries when they reduce emissions from deforestation). Guyana was the first country to sell carbon credits at the national level and the deal requires that the revenue from the sale of credits are distributed to communities around the country through a process of <a href="https://blog.aspiration.com/benefit-sharing-voluntary-carbon-market/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">benefits sharing</a>. Under this deal, 242 Indigenous communities opted in to receive the proposed 15% share of the benefits from the sale to support community led projects.



RFUS uses GFW forest carbon data to help inform communities in Guyana about how forests emit and sequester carbon, how these can be estimated and monitored, and to calculate the amount of carbon being sequestered on both titled and customary lands. While RFUS and local partners such as the Amerindian People’s Association are not using GFW’s data to dispute Guyana’s national REDD+ calculations, GFW data informs Indigenous organizations on how the contributions of their communities are <a href="https://www.development-today.com/archive/2023/dt-2--2023/carbon-certifier-admits-that-key-indigenous-complaints-were-not-on-the-table-when-credits-were-issued-to-guyana-last-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">or are not</a> reflected in the benefit sharing program.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3115-2048x1536.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-19527"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Patamona woman cooks cassava in Guyana’s North Pakaraimas mountain range. Credit RFUS</figcaption></figure>



For example, in the South Rupununi region of Guyana, of the 2.9 million hectares of customary Indigenous land in Wapichan Wiizi, around 590,000 hectares have been formally recognized by the government. The unrecognized Indigenous lands account for the bulk of the area and an even higher percentage of the territory’s forests since many Guyanese land titles were granted primarily for savanna areas rather than for forests. The South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/aoi/642b3e00493227001be0b2cf/?category=climate&amp;map=eyJjYW5Cb3VuZCI6dHJ1ZX0%3D&amp;widget=carbonFlux">uploaded their land claim</a> (delineated over years of community mapping) to GFW and saw that just their customary territory alone accounts for nearly 10% of Guyana’s overall annual carbon sequestration. This and other WRI data have generated key figures for ongoing collaborative discussions between the SRDC and the government of Guyana regarding formal recognition of these customary lands and potential designation of the area as a community conserved area.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06626-2048x1365.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19526"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Indigenous communities in Guyana’s rugged interior often contain a mix of dense forests and tropical savannas. Credit RFUS</figcaption></figure>



“Carbon and carbon sequestration are abstract concepts that can easily get lost in national policy discussions and financial transactions,” said Linburg Pearson, Mapping and Monitoring Leader at Amerindian People’s Association. “GFW data has helped us understand the role that specific communities and lands play in regard to carbon emissions and sequestration.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Democratizing data helps make forest protection more equitable</h2>



GFW’s open-source data is helping to promote transparency and broaden access by making critical information on forests and carbon emissions and sequestration accessible to communities. This helps bridge the gap between Indigenous communities and sources of finance, creating more equitable and just opportunities.



In this vein, GFW's forest carbon monitoring data has been an important resource for RFUS and the communities they work with, illustrating how free, global carbon emissions and sequestration maps can support forest monitoring on a community level and improved outcomes for communities. These examples from Indigenous and local communities effectively using the carbon data to improve their livelihoods and democratize data can shed light on how to create more equitable and responsive financial mechanisms that prioritize the needs and rights of forest protectors.







This work builds on WRI’s broader commitment to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities in securing rights, protecting forests and strengthening climate resilience. <a href="https://www.wri.org/equitable-development/indigenous-peoples-local-communities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn more here</a> about how GFW and WRI are supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities.



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Rainforest Foundation US has collaborated with Indigenous communities to apply GFW’s forest carbon data to help them access climate finance.

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“Just for monitoring, just for surveillance, our leaders have been killed,” recounts Ranin Koshi (in Shipibo meaning Strong Man, Hunter), the leader of <a href="https://www.orau.org.pe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Organización Regional de AIDESEP-Ucayali (ORAU)</a> in Peru. The Indigenous communities ORAU represents have long recognized their territory in the Peruvian Amazon as the very essence of life. It’s the foundation of their culture, history and survival.



<style>
.css-19vc5o2 aside {
 width: 100% !important;
float: none !important;
margin-left:
0px
!important;
}
</style>
<aside id="textbox">About ORAU
ORAU is a nonprofit civil association founded in 1999 with the purpose of representing and promoting the economic, social, political and cultural development of 13 Indigenous federations representing 20 Indigenous ethnic groups including: Amahuaca, Asháninka, Ashéninka Cashibo-Kakataibo, Cocama – Cocamilla, Shipibo – Conibo, Culina, Isconahua, Machiguenga, Mashco – Piro, Mastanahua, Murunahua, Nahua, Sharanahua, Cashinahua, Yaminahua, Yanesha, Yine, Awajun, and Chitonahua, whose ancestral territories are mostly located in the Ucayali department but also in part of the Loreto region (Ucayali province) and Huanuco department (Puerto Inca province) of Peru. ORAU is the regional office of AIDESEP (Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana), the governing organization representing Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon.
 </aside>



Yet, this deep bond with the land is under constant threat from illegal logging, deforestation, illicit crops, and other forms of intrusion. In 2001, Peru’s primary forest covered 69.1 million hectares, making up 54% of the country’s total land area. By 2023, the country experienced a 4% reduction of these forests.



Forest monitoring in communal territories has been going on for many years and has been embraced strongly, becoming a core part of the culture of Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Despite the threats, these communities were able to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015171118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decrease deforestation</a> in their areas by more than 50% in just a year when using satellite data from Global Forest Watch (GFW) in their monitoring.



But more tools are needed to both protect forests and keep communities safe — in-person monitoring has led to dangerous confrontations and, tragically, the loss of leaders who dared to defend their sovereignty over their lands.



Now, Indigenous leaders in Peru are working collaboratively to develop new resources using MapBuilder, a tool that is helping them to control the data and narrative around deforestation in their territories and the threats they face to better work together, target solutions, and guard and defend their territories against latent threats to ancestral forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A history of forest monitoring using satellite data</h2>



With support from Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) since 2016, and organizations like ORAU, Indigenous communities in the Ucayali and Loreto regions have moved beyond traditional methods of territory monitoring, developing the technical capacity to collect and manage satellite data and analyses themselves. Gone are the days of relying solely on physical patrols and the unaided eye; now, satellite imagery and near real-time data paint a territory-wide picture of their land’s condition.



“Technology allows us to reaffirm and guarantee our rights, especially with regards to the territory, for our future generations,” says Ranin Koshi.



In 2022, ORAU created its Satellite Information Center, “Imenko Tsiroti,” to address deforestation and threats in communal areas with the support of RFUS and to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples for mapping and satellite information for monitoring, surveillance and land management. This center processes data collected by forest monitors, along with relevant GFW data on forest loss in their territories, to address the challenge of monitoring community forests in near real-time to prevent and reduce deforestation.



Since last year, ORAU has been promoting the creation of its Regional Indigenous Environmental Crime Monitoring Network, with the Imenko Tsiroti Center as its base and main hub. With the support of &nbsp;<a href="https://www.usaid.gov/peru/documents/proyecto-prevenir" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USAID’s PREVENIR project</a>, it seeks to reduce the incidence of deforestation and crimes faced by Indigenous communities, as well as carry out strategic patrols and minimize the exposure of Indigenous vigilantes, monitors and/or leaders through the analysis of satellite data and technological tools.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A collaborative approach to visualizing data with MapBuilder</h2>



To help further advance Indigenous communities’ capacity, Peru’s Indigenous organizations identified MapBuilder as an ideal tool for Indigenous leaders to help visualize the data the communities are gathering from their territories about the threats they face and share it in dynamic format in their discussions and negotiations with external actors (such as government agencies, UN bodies and donors) without having to print and carry large maps. <a href="https://mapbuilder.wri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MapBuilder</a> is a tool developed by WRI’s Data Lab that allows users to create interactive maps combining curated, timely, trusted global data — including data from GFW — with the user’s local data.



At two RFUS-organized Tech Camps in 2023 — a reciprocal educational experience designed to train participants in using satellite data and tools, and also to understand the communities’ needs and collaborate on what needs data and tools can address — the GFW team trained technical staff from the Indigenous organizations to customize MapBuilder to create their own online geospatial portals.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1151" height="729" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru" class="wp-image-17509" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg 1151w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS-768x486.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1151px) 100vw, 1151px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1155" height="770" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru." class="wp-image-17510" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg 1155w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1155px) 100vw, 1155px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru. Credit: RFUS.</figcaption></figure>



GFW also trained the organizations to create ESRI StoryMaps, which are useful to highlight specific issues such as video testimonials, photo galleries and narrative maps.



A main outcome of the Tech Camps was the creation of the ORAU geospatial portal using MapBuilder. This was possible due to the partnership between GFW, RFUS, the Indigenous organizations and the GIS mapping software company ESRI, participating as equal contributors in a process focused on shared learning and mutual benefit. Each contributor plays an important role in this process: GFW provides tailored monitoring data, the MapBuilder template, and training; RFUS convenes and facilitates the space for collaboration through the Tech Camps and offers crucial technical support on-site; and ORAU, through its Imenko Tsiroti Satellite Information Center, provides the data for the geospatial portal and functions as the data hub to collect field data generated by Indigenous communities as they patrol their territories informed by GFW deforestation alerts. This collaboration has been significantly advanced by the software licenses donations from ESRI, enhancing the project’s capacity for developing and maintaining tools like MapBuilder.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1095" height="730" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-Indigenous-groups-demonstrate-their-maps-in-Pucallpa-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – Indigenous groups demonstrate their maps in Pucallpa, Peru. Credit: RFUS." class="wp-image-17511" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-Indigenous-groups-demonstrate-their-maps-in-Pucallpa-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg 1095w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-Indigenous-groups-demonstrate-their-maps-in-Pucallpa-Peru.-Credit-RFUS-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-Indigenous-groups-demonstrate-their-maps-in-Pucallpa-Peru.-Credit-RFUS-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1095px) 100vw, 1095px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – Indigenous groups demonstrate their maps in Pucallpa, Peru. Credit: RFUS.</figcaption></figure>



This collective endeavor, centered around joint exploration and development, leverages technology to directly integrate Indigenous partners’ knowledge and needs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Telling the story of forest threats</h2>



Why, though, is visualizing information on a map so transformative? The answer lies in the map’s ability to contextualize data, creating a compelling narrative about the areas and communities it represents. A map tells a visual story, highlighting trends and priorities through the data it cross-references. For Indigenous communities, this means having the ability to prioritize resources and efforts based on timely, evidence-based data. For example, <a href="https://my.gfw-mapbuilder.org/v1.latest/?appid=867894697a6a4bc68c18a2c4b95ae464">maps</a> can leverage data from GFW on deforestation alerts and incorporate local insights on illegal activities, which in turn can help identify which community would benefit most from training monitors to detect illegal logging.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://my.gfw-mapbuilder.org/v1.latest/?appid=867894697a6a4bc68c18a2c4b95ae464"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1860" height="1096" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17530" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map.png 1860w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map-1024x603.png 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map-768x453.png 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map-1536x905.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1860px) 100vw, 1860px" /></a></figure>



Through the use of MapBuilder, Indigenous leaders are creating online geospatial portals and StoryMaps, making the reality of their territories visible to the world. It offers an unfiltered, bottom-up perspective on the threats these communities face and their efforts to counteract them.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1898" height="2048" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_EN-1898x2048.png" alt="How indigenous organizations in the Peruvian Amazon monitor their territories" class="wp-image-17512" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_EN-1898x2048.png 1898w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_EN-949x1024.png 949w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_EN-768x829.png 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_EN-1423x1536.png 1423w" sizes="(max-width: 1898px) 100vw, 1898px" /></figure>



With tools like MapBuilder, the Indigenous communities and organizations that represent them control the narrative based on the data they are collecting and releasing to the public.



This shift towards digital storytelling and monitoring represents a significant milestone in forest protection. “There is deforestation; I can only say it. But now, I can demonstrate it physically with the ease of technology,” Ranin Koshi says, adding that this transition from manual to digital is revolutionary for the communities and their leadership. MapBuilder provides them with undeniable evidence of the challenges they face, transforming abstract threats into tangible realities that can be addressed and acted upon.



But that’s not all. With over 33 leaders assassinated in a decade, starting with Edwin Chota in 2014 and Quinto Inuma in 2023, by adding the location of the threats to Indigenous environmental defenders, the maps show the convergence of the threats with the deforestation drivers based on the evidence collected during the patrols.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Scaling collaboration to protect Indigenous-held forests</h2>



By integrating GFW data with communities’ field data into interactive applications, organizations like ORAU are fostering trust and enhancing collaborative efforts among community members and external stakeholders. The geospatial portals, developed using the MapBuilder template within ArcGIS Online, facilitate the seamless sharing of crucial environmental data, tailored to each organization’s specific needs and contexts.



Peru is just the starting point, signaling the potential for expansion within the Amazon Basin. Other Indigenous and local communities have begun to adopt monitoring technologies. For example, the <a href="https://sarayaku.org/guardianes-selva/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarayaku </a>People in Ecuador use monitoring technology to support the implementation of their territory management plan, and <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/grants-and-fellowships/projects/?country=COL&projectId=99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COCOMASUR</a> protects the territory of 33 Afro-descendant communities in Colombia. At the regional level, the AIDESEP-COICA Early Warning and Rapid Response Alert System (<a href="https://aidesep.org.pe/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Infografia-Sistema-de-Alerta-Temprana-de-COICA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAT/RR-COICA</a>) seeks to combine monitoring technology with a platform and protocols to respond to threats to Indigenous territories and peoples.&nbsp;&nbsp;



ORAU’s MapBuilder-based geoportal is more than just a mapping tool; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration between technology experts and Indigenous organizations and communities. The use of MapBuilder in Peru by Indigenous organizations can pave the way for its adoption elsewhere, and shows how technology, when shaped by the very people it aims to serve, can become a powerful tool in the preservation of resources.



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Indigenous Communities in the Peruvian Amazon Protect their Forest Heritage with MapBuilder 

“Just for monitoring, just for surveillance, our leaders have been killed,” recounts Ranin Koshi (in Shipibo meaning Strong Man, Hunter), the leader of <a href="https://www.orau.org.pe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Organización Regional de AIDESEP-Ucayali (ORAU)</a> in Peru. The Indigenous communities ORAU represents have long recognized their territory in the Peruvian Amazon as the very essence of life. It's the foundation of their culture, history and survival.



<style>
.css-19vc5o2 aside {
 width: 100% !important;
float: none !important;
margin-left:
0px
!important;
}
</style>
<aside id="textbox">About ORAU
ORAU is a nonprofit civil association founded in 1999 with the purpose of representing and promoting the economic, social, political and cultural development of 13 Indigenous federations representing 20 Indigenous ethnic groups including: Amahuaca, Asháninka, Ashéninka Cashibo-Kakataibo, Cocama - Cocamilla, Shipibo - Conibo, Culina, Isconahua, Machiguenga, Mashco - Piro, Mastanahua, Murunahua, Nahua, Sharanahua, Cashinahua, Yaminahua, Yanesha, Yine, Awajun, and Chitonahua, whose ancestral territories are mostly located in the Ucayali department but also in part of the Loreto region (Ucayali province) and Huanuco department (Puerto Inca province) of Peru. ORAU is the regional office of AIDESEP (Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana), the governing organization representing Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon.
 </aside>



Yet, this deep bond with the land is under constant threat from illegal logging, deforestation, illicit crops, and other forms of intrusion. In 2001, Peru’s primary forest covered 69.1 million hectares, making up 54% of the country’s total land area. By 2023, the country experienced a 4% reduction of these forests.



Forest monitoring in communal territories has been going on for many years and has been embraced strongly, becoming a core part of the culture of Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Despite the threats, these communities were able to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015171118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decrease deforestation</a> in their areas by more than 50% in just a year when using satellite data from Global Forest Watch (GFW) in their monitoring.



But more tools are needed to both protect forests and keep communities safe — in-person monitoring has led to dangerous confrontations and, tragically, the loss of leaders who dared to defend their sovereignty over their lands.



Now, Indigenous leaders in Peru are working collaboratively to develop new resources using MapBuilder, a tool that is helping them to control the data and narrative around deforestation in their territories and the threats they face to better work together, target solutions, and guard and defend their territories against latent threats to ancestral forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A history of forest monitoring using satellite data</h2>



With support from Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) since 2016, and organizations like ORAU, Indigenous communities in the Ucayali and Loreto regions have moved beyond traditional methods of territory monitoring, developing the technical capacity to collect and manage satellite data and analyses themselves. Gone are the days of relying solely on physical patrols and the unaided eye; now, satellite imagery and near real-time data paint a territory-wide picture of their land's condition.



“Technology allows us to reaffirm and guarantee our rights, especially with regards to the territory, for our future generations,” says Ranin Koshi.



In 2022, ORAU created its Satellite Information Center, “Imenko Tsiroti," to address deforestation and threats in communal areas with the support of RFUS and to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples for mapping and satellite information for monitoring, surveillance and land management. This center processes data collected by forest monitors, along with relevant GFW data on forest loss in their territories, to address the challenge of monitoring community forests in near real-time to prevent and reduce deforestation.



Since last year, ORAU has been promoting the creation of its Regional Indigenous Environmental Crime Monitoring Network, with the Imenko Tsiroti Center as its base and main hub. With the support of &nbsp;<a href="https://www.usaid.gov/peru/documents/proyecto-prevenir" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USAID's PREVENIR project</a>, it seeks to reduce the incidence of deforestation and crimes faced by Indigenous communities, as well as carry out strategic patrols and minimize the exposure of Indigenous vigilantes, monitors and/or leaders through the analysis of satellite data and technological tools.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A collaborative approach to visualizing data with MapBuilder</h2>



To help further advance Indigenous communities’ capacity, Peru's Indigenous organizations identified MapBuilder as an ideal tool for Indigenous leaders to help visualize the data the communities are gathering from their territories about the threats they face and share it in dynamic format in their discussions and negotiations with external actors (such as government agencies, UN bodies and donors) without having to print and carry large maps. <a href="https://mapbuilder.wri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MapBuilder</a> is a tool developed by WRI’s Data Lab that allows users to create interactive maps combining curated, timely, trusted global data — including data from GFW — with the user’s local data.



At two RFUS-organized Tech Camps in 2023 — a reciprocal educational experience designed to train participants in using satellite data and tools, and also to understand the communities’ needs and collaborate on what needs data and tools can address — the GFW team trained technical staff from the Indigenous organizations to customize MapBuilder to create their own online geospatial portals.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru" class="wp-image-17509"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru." class="wp-image-17510"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru. Credit: RFUS.</figcaption></figure>



GFW also trained the organizations to create ESRI StoryMaps, which are useful to highlight specific issues such as video testimonials, photo galleries and narrative maps.



A main outcome of the Tech Camps was the creation of the ORAU geospatial portal using MapBuilder. This was possible due to the partnership between GFW, RFUS, the Indigenous organizations and the GIS mapping software company ESRI, participating as equal contributors in a process focused on shared learning and mutual benefit. Each contributor plays an important role in this process: GFW provides tailored monitoring data, the MapBuilder template, and training; RFUS convenes and facilitates the space for collaboration through the Tech Camps and offers crucial technical support on-site; and ORAU, through its Imenko Tsiroti Satellite Information Center, provides the data for the geospatial portal and functions as the data hub to collect field data generated by Indigenous communities as they patrol their territories informed by GFW deforestation alerts. This collaboration has been significantly advanced by the software licenses donations from ESRI, enhancing the project's capacity for developing and maintaining tools like MapBuilder.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-Indigenous-groups-demonstrate-their-maps-in-Pucallpa-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – Indigenous groups demonstrate their maps in Pucallpa, Peru. Credit: RFUS." class="wp-image-17511"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – Indigenous groups demonstrate their maps in Pucallpa, Peru. Credit: RFUS.</figcaption></figure>



This collective endeavor, centered around joint exploration and development, leverages technology to directly integrate Indigenous partners' knowledge and needs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Telling the story of forest threats</h2>



Why, though, is visualizing information on a map so transformative? The answer lies in the map's ability to contextualize data, creating a compelling narrative about the areas and communities it represents. A map tells a visual story, highlighting trends and priorities through the data it cross-references. For Indigenous communities, this means having the ability to prioritize resources and efforts based on timely, evidence-based data. For example, <a href="https://my.gfw-mapbuilder.org/v1.latest/?appid=867894697a6a4bc68c18a2c4b95ae464">maps</a> can leverage data from GFW on deforestation alerts and incorporate local insights on illegal activities, which in turn can help identify which community would benefit most from training monitors to detect illegal logging.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://my.gfw-mapbuilder.org/v1.latest/?appid=867894697a6a4bc68c18a2c4b95ae464"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17530"/></a></figure>



Through the use of MapBuilder, Indigenous leaders are creating online geospatial portals and StoryMaps, making the reality of their territories visible to the world. It offers an unfiltered, bottom-up perspective on the threats these communities face and their efforts to counteract them.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_EN-1898x2048.png" alt="How indigenous organizations in the Peruvian Amazon monitor their territories" class="wp-image-17512"/></figure>



With tools like MapBuilder, the Indigenous communities and organizations that represent them control the narrative based on the data they are collecting and releasing to the public.



This shift towards digital storytelling and monitoring represents a significant milestone in forest protection. “There is deforestation; I can only say it. But now, I can demonstrate it physically with the ease of technology,” Ranin Koshi says, adding that this transition from manual to digital is revolutionary for the communities and their leadership. MapBuilder provides them with undeniable evidence of the challenges they face, transforming abstract threats into tangible realities that can be addressed and acted upon.



But that’s not all. With over 33 leaders assassinated in a decade, starting with Edwin Chota in 2014 and Quinto Inuma in 2023, by adding the location of the threats to Indigenous environmental defenders, the maps show the convergence of the threats with the deforestation drivers based on the evidence collected during the patrols.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Scaling collaboration to protect Indigenous-held forests</h2>



By integrating GFW data with communities’ field data into interactive applications, organizations like ORAU are fostering trust and enhancing collaborative efforts among community members and external stakeholders. The geospatial portals, developed using the MapBuilder template within ArcGIS Online, facilitate the seamless sharing of crucial environmental data, tailored to each organization's specific needs and contexts.



Peru is just the starting point, signaling the potential for expansion within the Amazon Basin. Other Indigenous and local communities have begun to adopt monitoring technologies. For example, the <a href="https://sarayaku.org/guardianes-selva/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarayaku </a>People in Ecuador use monitoring technology to support the implementation of their territory management plan, and <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/grants-and-fellowships/projects/?country=COL&amp;projectId=99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COCOMASUR</a> protects the territory of 33 Afro-descendant communities in Colombia. At the regional level, the AIDESEP-COICA Early Warning and Rapid Response Alert System (<a href="https://aidesep.org.pe/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Infografia-Sistema-de-Alerta-Temprana-de-COICA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAT/RR-COICA</a>) seeks to combine monitoring technology with a platform and protocols to respond to threats to Indigenous territories and peoples.&nbsp;&nbsp;



ORAU’s MapBuilder-based geoportal is more than just a mapping tool; it's a testament to the power of collaboration between technology experts and Indigenous organizations and communities. The use of MapBuilder in Peru by Indigenous organizations can pave the way for its adoption elsewhere, and shows how technology, when shaped by the very people it aims to serve, can become a powerful tool in the preservation of resources.



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"Solo por monitorear, solo por vigilar, han asesinado a nuestros líderes", relata Ranin Koshi (en Shipibo, Hombre Fuerte, Cazador), líder de la Organización Regional de AIDESEP-Ucayali (ORAU) en Perú. Las comunidades indígenas que representa la ORAU reconocen desde hace mucho tiempo su territorio en la Amazonía peruana como la esencia misma de la vida. Es la base de su cultura, historia y supervivencia.



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<aside id="textbox">Acerca de la ORAU
La ORAU es una asociación civil sin fines de lucro fundada en 1999 con el propósito de representar y promover el desarrollo económico, social, político y cultural de 20 pueblos indígenas y 13 bases federativas, como: Amahuaca, Asháninka, Ashéninka Cashibo-Kakataibo, Cocama - Cocamilla, Shipibo – Conibo, Culina, Isconahua, Machiguenga, Mashco – Piro, Mastanahua, Murunahua, Nahua, Sharanahua, Cashinahua, Yaminahua, Yanesha, Yine, Awajun, Chitonahua, cuyos territorios ancestrales se encuentran mayoritariamente en el departamento Ucayali, parte de la región Loreto (provincia de Ucayali) y departamento Huánuco (provincia Puerto Inca). La ORAU es la oficina regional de la AIDESEP (Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana), la organización vocera de los pueblos indígenas de la Amazonía del Perú.
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Sin embargo, este profundo vínculo con la tierra está constantemente amenazado por la tala ilegal, la deforestación, cultivos ilícitos y otras formas de intrusión. En 2001, los bosques primarios de Perú cubrían 69,1 millones de hectáreas, lo que representaba el 54% de la superficie total del país. Para 2023, el país experimentaba una reducción del 4% de estos bosques.



El monitoreo forestal en los territorios comunales se lleva realizando desde hace muchos años y se está convirtiendo en un elemento central del patrimonio de las comunidades indígenas de la Amazonía peruana. A pesar de las amenazas, estas comunidades <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015171118">lograron reducir la deforestación</a> en sus áreas en más del 50% en solo un año al utilizar datos satelitales de Global Forest Watch (GFW) en su monitoreo.



Pero se necesitan más herramientas para proteger los bosques y mantener seguras a las comunidades: el monitoreo en persona ha provocado enfrentamientos peligrosos y, trágicamente, la pérdida de líderes que se atrevieron a defender la soberanía sobre sus tierras.



Ahora, los líderes indígenas de Perú están trabajando en colaboración para desarrollar nuevos recursos utilizando MapBuilder, una herramienta que les está ayudando a controlar los datos y la narrativa en torno a la deforestación en sus territorios y las amenazas que enfrentan para trabajar mejor juntos y encontrar soluciones que les permitan monitorear, vigilar y defender sus territorios frente a amenazas latentes en los bosques ancestrales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Una historia de monitoreo forestal utilizando datos satelitales</h2>



Con el apoyo de organizaciones como RFUS desde 2016, y organizaciones como la ORAU, las comunidades indígenas en las regiones de Ucayali y Loreto han ido más allá de los métodos tradicionales de monitoreo territorial, desarrollando la capacidad técnica para recolectar y administrar datos por sí mismas. Atrás quedaron los días de depender únicamente de las patrullas físicas y a simple vista; ahora, las imágenes satelitales y los datos casi en tiempo real brindan una imagen completa del estado de sus territorios.



“La tecnología nos permite reafirmar y garantizar nuestros derechos, especialmente en lo que respecta al territorio, para nuestras generaciones futuras”, dice Ranin Koshi.



En 2022, la ORAU creó su Centro de Información Satelital “Imenko Tsiroti” (CISIT) para abordar la deforestación y las amenazas en territorios comunales con el apoyo de la RFUS y atender la demanda de información cartográfica y satelital de los pueblos indígenas con información para monitoreo, vigilancia y gestión de territorio. Dicho centro procesa datos con información de Global Forest Watch con la gran tarea de monitorear los bosques comunales utilizando tecnología que brinda información en tiempo casi real para prevenir y reducir la deforestación.



Desde el año pasado, la ORAU impulsa la creación de su Red de Monitoreo Regional Indígena de Delitos Ambientales con el CISIT como base y eje principal. Con la asistencia del Proyecto <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/peru/documents/proyecto-prevenir">PREVENIR de USAID</a>, se busca reducir la incidencia de la deforestación y los delitos que afrontan las comunidades nativas, así como la realización de patrullajes estratégicos y minimizar la exposición de los vigilantes, monitores y/o líderes indígenas mediante el análisis de datos satelitales y herramientas tecnológicas.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Un enfoque colaborativo para visualizar datos con MapBuilder</h2>



Para ayudar a avanzar aún más la capacidad de las comunidades indígenas, las organizaciones indígenas identificaron a MapBuilder como una herramienta para que los líderes indígenas ayuden a visualizar los datos geográficos sobre sus territorios y las amenazas que enfrentan en sus discusiones y negociaciones con actores externos (como agencias gubernamentales, organismos de la ONU, donantes y organizaciones de la sociedad civil). <a href="https://mapbuilder.wri.org/">MapBuilder</a> es una herramienta desarrollada por el Data Lab de WRI que permite a los usuarios crear mapas interactivos que combinan datos globales oportunos y confiables, incluidos los datos de GFW, con los datos locales del usuario.



En dos campamentos tecnológicos (Tech Camps) organizados por RFUS en 2023 - una experiencia educativa recíproca diseñada para capacitar a los participantes en el uso de datos y herramientas satelitales, y también para comprender las necesidades de las comunidades y colaborar en qué necesidades pueden abordar los datos y las herramientas - el equipo de GFW capacitó al personal técnico de las organizaciones indígenas para crear sus propios portales geoespaciales en línea.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru" class="wp-image-17509"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2_2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-workshop-in-Iquitos-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – workshop in Iquitos, Peru." class="wp-image-17510"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Campamento Tecnológico 2023 organizado por RFUS - taller en Iquitos, Perú. Crédito: RFUS.</figcaption></figure>



GFW también capacitó a las organizaciones para crear ESRI StoryMaps, que son útiles para resaltar materiales multimedia como testimonios en video, galerías de fotos y mapas narrativos.



Un resultado principal de los Tech Camps fue la creación del portal geoespacial la ORAU utilizando MapBuilder. Esto fue posible gracias a la alianza entre GFW, RFUS, la organización indígena y la donación de software de mapeo y sistemas geoespaciales de ESRI, participando como contribuyentes iguales en un proceso enfocado en el aprendizaje compartido y el beneficio mutuo. Cada colaborador juega un papel importante en este proceso:



GFW y WRI proporcionan datos de monitoreo personalizados, la plantilla MapBuilder y capacitación; RFUS convoca y facilita el espacio de colaboración a través de los Tech Camps además de ofrecer apoyo técnico crucial en campo; y la ORAU, a través del CISIT, proporciona los datos para el portal geoespacial y funciona como el centro de datos para recopilar datos de campo generados por las comunidades indígenas mientras patrullan sus territorios informados por las alertas de deforestación de GFW. Esta colaboración ha avanzado significativamente debido a&nbsp; las donaciones de licencias de software de ESRI, mejorando la capacidad del proyecto para desarrollar y mantener herramientas como MapBuilder.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-Tech-Camp-organized-by-RFUS-–-Indigenous-groups-demonstrate-their-maps-in-Pucallpa-Peru.-Credit-RFUS.jpg" alt="2023 Tech Camp organized by RFUS – Indigenous groups demonstrate their maps in Pucallpa, Peru. Credit: RFUS." class="wp-image-17511"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Campamento Tecnológico 2023 organizado por RFUS - Grupos indígenas muestran sus mapas en Pucallpa, Perú. Crédito: RFUS.</figcaption></figure>



Este esfuerzo colectivo, centrado en la exploración y el desarrollo conjuntos, aprovecha la tecnología para integrar directamente el conocimiento y las necesidades de los socios indígenas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contando la historia de las amenazas forestales</h2>



¿Por qué, entonces, visualizar información en un mapa es tan transformador? La respuesta radica en la capacidad del mapa para contextualizar los datos, creando una narrativa convincente sobre las áreas y comunidades que representa. Un mapa cuenta una historia visual, destacando tendencias y prioridades a través de los datos que hace referencia cruzada. Para las comunidades indígenas, esto significa tener la capacidad de priorizar recursos y esfuerzos en función de datos oportunos y basados ​​en evidencia. Por ejemplo, <a href="https://my.gfw-mapbuilder.org/v1.latest/?appid=867894697a6a4bc68c18a2c4b95ae464">los mapas</a> pueden aprovechar datos de GFW sobre alertas de deforestación e incorporar información local sobre actividades ilegales, lo que a su vez puede ayudar a identificar qué comunidad se beneficiaría más de la capacitación de monitores para detectar la tala ilegal.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://my.gfw-mapbuilder.org/v1.latest/?appid=867894697a6a4bc68c18a2c4b95ae464"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ORAU-mapbuilder-map-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17533"/></a></figure>



Mediante el uso de MapBuilder, los líderes indígenas están creando portales geoespaciales y StoryMaps en línea, haciendo visible la realidad de sus territorios para el mundo. Ofrece una perspectiva sin filtros y de abajo hacia arriba sobre las amenazas que enfrentan estas comunidades y sus esfuerzos para contrarrestarlas.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/24.05.28_MapBuilder-Peru_Insights_ES-1898x2048.png" alt="Cómo las organizaciones indígenas en la Amazonía peruana monitorean y mapean sus territorios" class="wp-image-17527"/></figure>



Con herramientas como MapBuilder, las comunidades indígenas y las organizaciones que las representan controlan la narrativa en función de los datos que recopilan y publican al público.



Este cambio hacia la narración y el monitoreo digitales representa un hito significativo en la protección de sus bosques ancestrales. “Hay deforestación; solo puedo decirlo. Pero ahora, puedo demostrarlo físicamente con la facilidad de la tecnología”, dice Ranin Koshi, y agrega que esta transición de manual a digital es revolucionaria para las comunidades y su liderazgo. MapBuilder les proporciona evidencia innegable de los desafíos que enfrentan, transformando las amenazas abstractas en realidades tangibles que pueden abordarse y sobre las que se puede actuar.



Pero eso no es todo. Con más de 33 líderes asesinados en una década, desde Edwin Chota en 2014 hasta Quinto Inuma en 2023, al agregar la ubicación de las amenazas a los defensores indígenas del medio ambiente, los mapas muestran la convergencia de las amenazas con los factores de deforestación según la evidencia recopilada durante los patrullajes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Escalando la colaboración para proteger los bosques de las comunidades indígenas</h2>



Al integrar los datos de GFW con los datos de campo obtenidos por las comunidades en aplicaciones interactivas, organizaciones como la ORAU fomentan la confianza y fortalecen los esfuerzos de colaboración entre los miembros de la comunidad y las partes interesadas externas. Los portales geoespaciales, desarrollados utilizando la plantilla MapBuilder dentro de ArcGIS Online, facilitan el intercambio fluido de datos ambientales cruciales, adaptados a las necesidades y contextos específicos de cada organización.



Perú es solo el punto de partida, lo que indica el potencial de expansión dentro de la cuenca del Amazonas. Otras comunidades indígenas y locales han comenzado a adoptar tecnologías de monitoreo. Por ejemplo, el Pueblo Sarayaku en Ecuador utiliza tecnología de monitoreo para apoyar la implementación de su plan de manejo territorial, y COCOMASUR protege el territorio de 33 comunidades afrodescendientes en Colombia. A nivel regional, el Sistema de Alerta Temprana y Respuesta Rápida AIDESEP-COICA (SAT/RR-COICA) busca combinar la tecnología de monitoreo con una plataforma y protocolos para responder a las amenazas a los territorios y pueblos indígenas.



El geoportal de la ORAU basado en MapBuilder es más que una simple herramienta de mapeo; es un testimonio del poder de la colaboración entre expertos en tecnología y organizaciones y comunidades indígenas. El uso de MapBuilder en Perú por organizaciones indígenas puede abrir el camino para su adopción en otros lugares, y muestra cómo la tecnología, cuando la moldean las mismas personas a las que pretende servir, puede convertirse en una herramienta poderosa para la preservación de los recursos.



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Las comunidades indígenas de la Amazonía peruana protegen su patrimonio forestal con MapBuilder