Andean Amazonian Indigenous Peoples’ Territories, Climate Change, and the Green Economy

Abstract

This article examines the situation of some of the largest Andean-Amazonian Indigenous territories affected by public policies that have historically promoted deforestation for agricultural expansion. These territories represent a strategic opportunity to mitigate climate change, foster sustainable landscapes within a Green Economy framework, and safeguard the well-being of Indigenous peoples and Amazonian populations. Although international law and the domestic legislation of Amazonian countries formally protect Indigenous lands and natural resources, political priorities often override legal safeguards. As a result, institutional and legal frameworks are systematically weakened, limiting effective public action and preventing meaningful policy feedback. The persistence of a colonial-extractive development model—characterized by deforestation, forest degradation, illegal mining, illegal logging, and encroachment on Indigenous territories—restricts access to resources, technical capacity, and political commitment to conservation. While many Amazonian governments continue to promote extractive industries at the national level, provincial and local authorities frequently reinforce deforestation through their own development policies. At the same time, democratic governance requires the effective participation of all stakeholders in decision-making processes, yet Indigenous peoples and other rural populations remain largely excluded or confined to ineffective consultation mechanisms, while Indigenous peoples’ Nature defenders are killed. An analysis of forest-cover dynamics reveals significant changes in deforestation patterns, particularly in the southern Andean-Amazon region. The findings suggest that a Green Economy approach can help reduce deforestation, combat environmental crime, and promote the well-being of Indigenous peoples while ensuring the conservation of natural ecosystems. As Arce and Soria (2019) argue, nature favours diversity over homogeneity and penalizes the latter through ecological collapse. In this context, adaptive management can reconcile private, public, and communal land-tenure systems while maintaining essential ecological processes. More broadly, governance and public policies that embrace institutional diversity and protect the interests of producers, Indigenous peoples, citizens, and nature alike can strengthen democratic environmental governance and contribute to more effective conservation.