The Kayapo Project at COP 30

Coordination and Alignment for Indigenous Autonomy in the Amazon 

The Kayapo Project is a flagship program of Biome Conservation. COP 30, located in the Kayapo’s backyard of Belem, Pará created opportunities for Biome’s three Kayapo NGO partners, Associação Floresta Protegida (AFP), Instituto Kabu (IK), and Instituto Raoni (IR) to share the stage to debate and discuss their ongoing work together and with national and international partners.  

These events were important for bringing together the three largest Kayapo organizations on a single stage to debate and discuss their shared challenges and solidify their shared commitment to territorial and cultural protection within the Kayapo – NGO alliance.  

The first event, “Transnational networks for conservation and climate action in the Mebengokre-Kayapó Indigenous Lands” discussed the challenges and opportunities for Kayapo organizations working with one another and their international partners like Biome Conservation. Moderated by Dr. Matthew Aruch, the event occurred in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change’s Circulo dos Povos Pavilion.  

The second event, entitled “Strengthening the institutional capacity of local organizations as a strategy to address the climate crisis in Indigenous territories: the case of the Kayapó” took place in the state of Pará’s Secretariat of Environment, Climate and Sustainability Pavilion. During this event, Kayapo organization shared initiatives for territorial and cultural protection, including territorial surveillance and monitoring; development of sustainable economic alternatives like Brazil nuts and ecotourism; and institutional strengthening and the empowerment of Kayapó women. The event was moderated by Dr. Adriano Jerozolimski, Kayapo Project Director, Brazil.   

Our third event, in partnership with the Federation of Indigenous Peoples from Pará (FEPIPA) and AFP, IK, and IR came together in the Ocean’s house at the edge of the Guama River for the event, “Voices from the Amazon: Indigenous perspectives about the climate and nature-based solutions.”  Here, panelists, moderated by Dr. Beatriz Garcia from the University of Sorbonne, Abu Dhabi, reflected upon and discussed the so-called “Indigenous” COP 30 as a space for elevating Indigenous voices and what a successful COP 30 could mean for Amazon communities.  

These events continue to demonstrate that the Kayapo people and their allies are organized, prepared, and unified in the protection of Kayapo culture and lands including more than 9 million hectares of tropical forest.  

For more information about Biome Conservation or the Kayapo Project, contact kayapoproject@biomeconservation.org 

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