Photo: Disclosure/UN Biodiversity
Text by Cley Medeiros, for Amazônia Vox
At COP16, held in Cali, Colombia, a historic milestone was reached for indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in environmental conservation. After intense negotiations that lasted until the early hours of Saturday, hours before the conference closed, the creation of a permanent body to participate in the negotiations was approved. In practice, no decision of the United Nations (UN) Biodiversity COP from now on will be made without the opinion and vote of indigenous and quilombola peoples. Led by Brazil, the measure was considered a victory for global indigenous movements, which expands an ongoing space for dialogue and influence on the targets for reducing biodiversity loss of the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework.
The approval, which involved representatives from 196 countries, faced obstacles regarding funding for conservation strategies, but was celebrated by indigenous representatives. “We are moving forward, with dialogue and with all this interaction between indigenous peoples, local communities and Afro-descendants. Together, to increase the participation of those who are really involved in the day-to-day struggle to protect the environment and biodiversity,” said Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara. In addition, COP16 officially recognized, for the first time, the vital role of Afro-descendants, including quilombolas, in environmental preservation and sustainable use of nature. This recognition, promoted by Colombia and supported by Brazil, met with initial resistance from the European Union, which backed down after pressure from South American countries.
“This is the second goal of this partnership between COP16 in Cali and COP30 in Belém. We are not competing like in football, but we are scoring goals together,” said Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment of Colombia and President of COP16. The second goal that Minister Susana refers to is the decision to protect marine areas known as “Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas” (EBSAs), in the most critical and vulnerable areas of the ocean. According to the resolution approved in Cali, the measure contributed to the process of recognizing priority areas for the conservation of marine biodiversity.
The idea is to identify and classify EBSAs based on scientific criteria, such as the uniqueness of their biodiversity and the importance of the ecological services they provide. Although recognition as an EBSA does not automatically impose restrictions, it creates a scientific basis for countries to implement protected areas and develop sustainable management actions. The decision offers a powerful tool for governments to plan conservation actions, especially in vulnerable locations. For countries like Brazil, with a vast coastline and unique ecosystems, this means the possibility of protecting sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas before they suffer irreversible impacts due to threats such as pollution, overfishing and climate change.
Why does the Amazon coast need this protection?
The coasts of the states of Amapá and Pará make up a unique region of the Amazon coastline, where rivers such as the Amazon meet the ocean, creating an environment rich in marine and freshwater biodiversity. The coastal zone of this region is essential for endangered species such as manatees and sea turtles, and is also home to mangroves, which help capture carbon and protect the areas from erosion and flooding. This region faces increasing pressures, from the expansion of the fishing industry to the increase in mineral and natural gas exploration activities. In addition, the construction of infrastructure such as ports and highways puts critical habitats at risk, directly impacting local populations, many of whom are indigenous and quilombola communities, who depend on natural resources to survive.
The designation of EBSAs along the Amazon coastline provides a scientific database that helps Brazil make more informed conservation decisions. With this recognition, specific areas can be more easily protected and monitored, laying the foundation for policies that ensure the sustainable use of marine resources. This includes environmental monitoring initiatives and the possibility of creating marine protected areas that help preserve the unique ecosystems of Amapá and Pará, for example.
Dan Zarin, WCS executive director for forests and climate, points out that celebrations are needed, but with caution. Implementation of measures depends on what governments decide, which is why it is important to move forward with the legislative agenda.
“At COP16, the connections between nature and climate received the attention they deserved, particularly from those governments and civil society organizations focused on charting a course from the CBD COP in Cali this year to the 30th Climate COP in Belém, Brazil, in late 2025. Addressing the climate and nature crises requires a rapid acceleration in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and an unprecedented investment in protecting and strengthening Earth’s natural buffers against the impacts of the climate crisis – our forests, grasslands, and marine and coastal ecosystems. This investment must include support for Indigenous Peoples and other communities whose stewardship sustains the ecological integrity of nature. While the text agreed at CBD COP16 is helpful, at this critical juncture the actions taken by governments and the companies they regulate will speak louder than the words agreed in Cali,” said Dan Zarin.
Human and animal health organizations also welcomed the adoption of the first Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health in Cali, at a critical juncture that affects humans, wildlife and other animals, and ecosystems. The One Health approach, which is integrated into the Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health, recognizes these interconnections and interdependencies between ecosystem, animal and human health and is essential for effective biodiversity conservation. The destruction of nature and increased interface between people and wildlife are known to lead to spillover of pathogens, leading to epidemics and pandemics, and to destroy ecosystems critical to nature and human well-being, WCS said.
Financing
With a focus on indigenous, quilombola and riverine populations, the Biodiversity COP also approved the creation of the Cali Fund, a voluntary mechanism for sharing benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and digital sequence information (DSI). This agreement aims to ensure that the benefits of knowledge and natural resources are shared with the communities and peoples that originated them. According to the new rules, companies in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and dietary supplement sectors that benefit commercially from the use of these materials must contribute 1% of their profits or 0.1% of their revenue.
It was established that 50% of the resources of this new fund should be allocated to projects and implementation of policies for the defense and conservation of biodiversity with broad participation, or even direct financing from indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants and local communities, as an effective measure of historical reparation. This reference is important and unprecedented for an official document of the UN system. The fund is designed to encourage greater responsibility from companies regarding the use of natural resources and promote social justice.
Although the mechanism has a commercial focus, it also makes exceptions for academic research and public institutions that use this information on a non-profit basis. The expectation is that at least half of the funds raised will be allocated to support indigenous peoples and local communities, either through governments or through direct payments to institutions chosen by these communities.
“The money that comes from companies to pay for the use of genetic resources of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge is not a donation, it is a legitimate payment. The DSI is, in fact, a very complex technical issue, but it is also an imperatively ethical issue, due to the obligation to recognize the knowledge and domain of traditional populations. When we have an ethical commitment, we find the technical response and that is what the negotiators are doing”, stated Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate.
One of the main decisions regarding financing for COP16 was the support of Germany, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Norway for the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), a proposal by Brazil to financially reward developing countries that preserve their tropical forests. Minister Marina Silva explained that the TFFF will pay annually for each hectare of preserved forest, while penalizing deforested areas. This fund is an advance on the commitment made at COP28 and should be formalized at COP30 in Belém, the negotiators pointed out. Razan Al Mubarak, from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, stated that the fund is a commitment to sustainability: “I was present when the Brazilian government announced the TFFF. It was clear that it was not a proposal that could be dispensed with, but rather an 'all or nothing' fund for the preservation of nature,” he said.
For Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, COP16 delivered important commitments on the interconnections in nature and climate, biodiversity and health, and Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs). “Of course, we would have liked to have achieved more in terms of resource mobilization and advances in the monitoring framework, but we will not slow down. 2030 is fast approaching and action cannot wait,” she said.
Among the main challenges that COP16 sought to overcome from the results of COP15 in Canada was the increase in the participation of biodiversity protectors, who work directly in their communities and maintain their planting and preservation traditions. The number of agendas and resolutions that include these populations has increased by 37% since the last COP, according to the report's survey, with the main focus being on traditional peoples.
Science and indigenous knowledge
Just like indigenous peoples, science plays a crucial role in preserving Amazonian biodiversity, especially in global negotiation contexts such as COP16. One of the solutions proposed to unite academic science and indigenous knowledge for biodiversity preservation was shared by the Serrapilheira Institute, at the Brazil Pavilion, during COP16.
The proposal of the Center for Tropical Ecology focuses on collaborative methodologies, where academic knowledge and “indigenous science” dialogue on an equal footing, points out Gabriella Seiler, a scientist at the Serrapilheira Institute. A key player in the implementation of the proposal, Seiler argues that one of the biggest challenges in integrating this knowledge is the time and the process of building trust, which, although slow, is essential. This work is carried out directly in indigenous territories, respecting ethical protocols, as Gabriella describes: “Indigenous knowledge offers practical perspectives on topics such as climate change; for example, riverside communities directly observe changes in fishing cycles.” she states.
The center was created based on the recognition of ecology as a strategic differentiator for Brazil, given its biodiversity, which accounts for 20% of the planet. Gabriella explains that the center not only brings together ecologists, but also economists, anthropologists, and communicators in multidisciplinary task forces to address complex environmental problems. The idea is to promote applied tropical science that can engage directly with decision-makers, including indigenous knowledge. Natasha Felizi, also from Serrapilheira, adds: “Over the years, we have fostered initiatives in ecology, such as training in quantitative ecology, exclusive calls for black and indigenous ecologists, and dialogue between academic and indigenous ecologies, which led us to create this center.”
One of the axes of the center will be the development of a geospatial platform to guide restoration and conservation efforts in the Amazon. Gabriella explains that this platform encompasses three pillars: biophysical and economic assessment of forest services; identification of key species to increase climate resilience; and integration between indigenous and academic science. In addition, four research axes are being developed: biodiversity diagnosis; production of shared knowledge; relationship between biodiversity and society; and ecosystem resilience in the context of climate change. Natasha emphasizes: “Over the past seven years, we have consolidated a critical base of scientists and journalists committed to science. The center’s difference will be the focus on science applied to public policy challenges, such as the formulation of economic instruments to value biodiversity.”
Dialogue between Brazil and Colombia will also be essential to foster the conservation of Latin American biodiversity, uniting scientific and governance efforts in both countries, which are hosting COP16 and COP30. Seiler mentions partnerships with the Humboldt Institute of Colombia, which will also act as a technical and scientific support center for the Convention on Biological Diversity, providing data for twelve Latin American countries to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The collaboration with the Humboldt Institute and other Latin American entities reflects the urgency of joint action between Brazil and Colombia to preserve regional biodiversity. Gabriella Seiler mentions the letter sent by 70 leaders to Lula and Petro, calling for robust action to address deforestation and the climate crisis. This exchange between the two countries becomes even more significant with COP30, which will be hosted in Belém, Brazil, in 2025.
This report was produced by Cley Medeiros for Amazônia Vox as part of the 2024 CBD COP16 Virtual Fellowship, organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network.