Project: Preserving Indigenous Puyanawa's Ancestral Lands - Acquiring 11,000 hectares of pristine rainforest to safeguard them from deforestation.
Objective: Our goal is to raise substantial funds by the end of 2023 to make an initial significant payment in early 2024 to the current landowner. This ensures that the land remains in the hands of the Puyanawa people and does not fall into the possession of any other potential buyer.
Scientists warn that if 20% of the Amazon rainforest were to vanish, the entire forest could perish, transforming the region into a sun-scorched desert due to the extreme solar intensity at these latitudes. Alarming reports indicate that we have already surpassed the 13% mark. Thus, the need to PROTECT AS MUCH OF THE AMAZON FOREST AS POSSIBLE is nothing short of URGENT! It is imperative that we take immediate action to halt deforestation and preserve these invaluable ecosystems without delay.
The indigenous Puyanawa community, comprising approximately 750 individuals, resides in the state of Acre, nestled in the western region of the Brazilian Amazon, near the border with Peru. Their current territory spans approximately 24,000 hectares (equivalent to 240 square kilometers), with a remarkable 90% of it adorned with untouched, pristine primary forest.
Today, the Puyanawa people have (finally) been presented with the opportunity to acquire approximately 11,000 hectares (equivalent to 110 km2) of pristine forest. These lands are adjacent to their current territory and hold immense significance as the ancestral lands of the Puyanawa community. It was on these sacred grounds that their ancestors resided prior to the arrival of Portuguese colonizers, making their acquisition a deeply meaningful endeavour for the Puyanawa people.
And it is URGENT because currently, there are other potential buyers for these lands.
If this project succeeds, we can guarantee that this forest parcel will be protected and preserved as the Puyanawa people are acutely aware of the significance of maintaining as much tropical forest as possible, both for their own well-being and for future generations. It presents a remarkable opportunity for Planeta Foundation and its generous donors to make a meaningful contribution towards safeguarding a portion of the Amazon rainforest!
We kindly ask you to join us in financing the purchase of this parcel of Amazon rainforest for the Puyanawa people and the future of our planet. Your invaluable support would be deeply appreciated and make a world of difference. From the depths of our hearts, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for your generosity!
For those who are interested, here is an exceptionally crafted film (in Portuguese) about the Puyanawa people and their ancestral lands:
