Climate Change Solutions Update

Tag: Amazon

  • Indigenous forest fire brigades shortlisted for global climate award

    CARE, an Asháninka Indigenous organization in the Amazon, has been nominated for the 2026 Ashden Award for their Indigenous-led Integrated Fire Management strategy, PAAMARI. The project successfully combines Indigenous wisdom with satellite technology to prevent and reduce wildfires in the region, with no wildfires recorded in 2025. The project focuses on training community members as fire brigade members, using high-tech monitoring, and teaching safe burning practices. Winning the Ashden Award would allow for the expansion of this work, providing essential safety gear to volunteer Indigenous community fire brigade members. Indigenous Peoples are effective stewards of the rainforest and with the right tools and respect for traditional knowledge, they can protect this important ecosystem from the impacts of the climate crisis.

    https://www.coolearth.org/news/indigenous-forest-fire-brigades-shortlisted-for-global-climate-award/

  • A just agricultural transition takes root in Brazil

    Agroforestry is seen as a rare climate solution that can support farmers and the environment, offering a way to decarbonize agriculture without harming rural communities. Belterra, a Brazilian agroforestry enterprise, supports farmers like Zé Maria, proving that profitable and ecologically sustainable family farms are possible in the Amazon. The article emphasizes the potential of agroforestry as a solution, which can restore soil health, conserve water, support biodiversity, and sequester carbon. Large companies like Cargill and Amazon are partnering with Belterra to integrate agroforestry into their supply chains and climate strategies, highlighting the scalability and catalytic nature of these partnerships. It is crucial that agroforestry strengthens the rights and incomes of those on the ground to be part of a just transition towards a more sustainable future.

    https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/01/30/a-just-agricultural-transition-takes-root-in-brazil/

  • Nothing About Us Without Us

    In Marajó, the community faces challenges with frequent power outages impacting daily life, highlighting the importance of energy access for basic rights and dignity. The connection between energy justice and climate justice is emphasized, especially as the impacts of the climate crisis worsen. The Marajó Observatory advocates for a transition to clean energy for energy security, amplifying community voices in decision-making spaces. 350.org and partners have implemented 10,000 solar energy systems in the Amazon, focusing on community participation and energy autonomy to ensure the National Energy Transition Plan reflects local needs and culture. The ultimate goal is to create a future where clean energy is a right, promoting climate and social justice.

    https://350.org/energy-access-brazil/

  • Five climate trailblazers: UNEP’S 2025 Champions of the Earth

    The UN Environment Programme has named five new climate visionaries as its 2025 Champions of the Earth, recognizing their work on climate justice, sustainable cooling, forest protection, and methane emissions reductions. The laureates, including Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Supriya Sahu from Tamil Nadu, Mariam Issoufou Architects, and Imazon from Brazil, are driving real change for people and the planet with their innovative leadership in areas such as climate law, sustainable cooling, resilient buildings, and deforestation prediction models. Imazon's non-profit research institute, using science and AI-driven geospatial tools, is curbing deforestation in the Amazon and supporting legal cases. Cynthia Houniuhi is honored for pioneering forest monitoring systems, while Manfredi Caltagirone, posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, dedicated his career to addressing climate challenges, particularly methane emissions, and shaping global energy policy through his work at UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory.

    https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166558

  • Brazil creates new Indigenous territories after COP30 protests

    Brazil has created 10 new Indigenous territories, including one in the Amazon, to protect culture and environment, with calls for more lands to be legally recognized. Indigenous peoples protect biodiversity and traditional ways of life help tackle global warming, with past recognition of Indigenous reserves preventing deforestation and potentially reducing carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. The Brazilian government has announced the creation of new protected areas for indigenous peoples, crucial for regulating the global climate and storing carbon, with efforts at COP30 to limit global temperature rises and address the impacts of climate change. Indigenous groups face attacks when defending their land, with protests at COP30 demanding land demarcation to ensure the protection of Indigenous territories and their vital role in climate solutions.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d0vekq12ro

  • COP30: Climate crisis is a health crisis, WHO warns as philanthropies pledge $300m for solutions

    The WHO, Brazilian Government, and a coalition of philanthropies are calling for urgent action to protect health systems in a warming world, as 1 in 12 hospitals could face climate-related shutdowns. With global temperatures already above 1.5°C and billions living in highly vulnerable areas, the health sector's 5% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions underscores the need for a transition to low-carbon systems. Gaps in health adaptation planning, including risks to health facilities and marginalized populations, must be addressed. Ms. Maciel stresses the importance of training health professionals to address climate-related extreme events and adapting healthcare systems to climate impacts, with a focus on monitoring data, building resilience, and promoting research and innovation for heat-resistant medicines and vaccines. She warns of potential health risks in the Amazon due to deforestation and urges effective implementation of the Belém Health Action Plan to mitigate these threats.

    https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166369