All Eyes on the Amazon (AEA) supports the fight against deforestation and environmental degradation by defending the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. The program combines state-of-the-art technology, like satellites and drones, with local knowledge. We detect and record deforestation, and territorial and human rights violations, and try to end them.

Why should we protect the Amazon?

The Amazon is made up of a mosaic of ecosystems and vegetation types including rainforests, seasonal forests, deciduous forests, flooded forests, and savannas. This is the world’s largest rainforest and is home to more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. The rainforest is crucial for keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees, but it is reaching a tipping point. Deforestation and forest fires have consumed 18 percent of its tree cover, and the forest is now emitting more carbon than it captures. Moreover, up to 65 percent of the territory is in danger of turning into a savannah over the next 50 years.

This increasingly worrying scenario is reaching a point of no return. It is accelerating the climate crisis and threatening the survival of over 10 percent of all species of plants and animals on Earth. Not to mention more than 400 Indigenous peoples, keepers of ancestral knowledge and guardians of the forest.

Indigenous people and local communities living in the Amazon play a crucial role in ending the destruction of the rainforest and protecting it sustainably. However, the pressure on Indigenous peoples and their territories is greater than ever: deforestation, ecosystem degradation, extraction of natural resources, human rights violations, territorial invasions, and the long-term effects of COVID-19 threaten their survival and ways of life.

How we work

All Eyes on the Amazon gathers information about the destruction of the forest. We analyze satellite images, record deforestation, and detect environmental degradation and rights violations with drones, smartphones, and technological apps. This helps us map the territory as well as store and present the information safely and effectively. We make full use of technological solutions and local knowledge to help defend the interests of Indigenous peoples. We also strategically employ all evidence gathered in our advocacy, awareness campaigns, and legal actions. Finally, we promote collective learning, exchange, and the creation of alliances and networks amongst partner and ally organizations.

Where

AEA acts regionally and in national processes for the defense of the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, and also at the local level in eight Amazonian territories threatened by human rights and environmental violations.

Results

Since 2018, All Eyes on the Amazon has been implemented by more than 30 local and international organizations working in the fields of technology, human and Indigenous rights, conservation, transparency, advocacy, and law enforcement. Under the leadership of our local partners, the program adds value with tools, training, and collaborative action. Monitoring teams and Indigenous communities from the three countries are trained in several areas. These include mapping and monitoring, video as evidence, and video for campaigns, early warning systems, and communications strategies.

  • 6.97 million hectares of Amazon rainforest are monitored in Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru through the Global Forest Watch platform.
  • 479 people, including coordinators, monitors, and indigenous leaders of AEA have been trained (face-to-face and virtually) in the use of deforestation alerts for monitoring to defend their territories.
  • The use of satellite imagery combined with field monitoring and overflights of the Karipuna Indigenous Land (Brazil) led to the detection of illegal activities. The suspects are currently being tried in court.
  • In Peru, two complaints were filed before the Corporate Prosecutor’s Office Specialized in Environmental Matters of Madre de Dios and Cusco. They included the field monitoring reports by the technicians from the ECA Amarakaeri Reserve made using drones, GPS and satellite monitoring.
  • The work of Alianza Ceibo and Amazon Frontlines led to a historic court ruling that protects 180,000 hectares, halting the Oil Block 22 tender in Ecuador.
  • ECA-Amarakaeri (Peru) carried out over 100 patrols to protect their ancestral territory, resulting in mining equipment seizure and destruction.
  • PUINAMUDT in Peru provided support to the community federations of that country during the process (elaboration and implementation) of the Prior Consultation in Block 192. The process culminated with the signing of the Prior Consultation Act, on August 14, 2021, between the Peruvian State and 13 indigenous communities.
  • The AEA Learning Platform and Academy was co-created amongst AEA partners and allies as a virtual learning space, with over 400 resources to strengthen the defense of land in the Amazon.

Impact examples 2021:

  • Improvement of Global Forest Watch (GFW) toolkit functions and data to increase the efficiency of real-time forest monitoring.
  • Thirteen training workshops on the use of technology for community mapping and monitoring for Indigenous leaders and environmental monitors in Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.
  • Report on Access to justice of Indigenous peoples in Maranhão, Brazil.
  • A court case of the Karipuna Indigenous Land (IL) against the State of Brazil.
  • Advocacy in Europe to protect the Amazon region from a potential EU-Mercosur agreement.
  • Advocacy to support the ratification and implementation of the Escazu Agreement in Ecuador.
  • Support for the development of the first (2019) and Second (2021) Indigenous Women’s March to protest against the violence of the Brazilian State and those who attack and threaten Indigenous territories.
  • Support for the Free Land Camp (ATL), an annual national mobilization in Brazil that started in 2004 to raise awareness about the violations of Indigenous rights.

Learn more about the program’s main achievements here

Period and budget

2017-2020: €14.8 million contribution from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery’s Dream Fund

2021-2022: €4 million additional contribution from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery

Our partners

All Eyes on the Amazon is a unique coalition led by Hivos, Greenpeace, and the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA).

Access the full list of AEA partners

The AEA program is coming to an end in September 2022. For funding interest, contact María Moreno de los Ríos, AEA Program Manager at mmoreno@hivos.org

For more information about the program access www.alleyesontheamazon.org