BELÉM, BRAZIL – The Brazilian government announced on Monday, 17 November 2025, the creation of 10 new Indigenous territories, a significant move for environmental protection made during the protest-hit COP30 climate summit. The designation, formalized through ordinances signed by the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, is a crucial step towards the full legal demarcation of these lands, which ultimately requires a presidential decree from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The announcement came on 'Indigenous Peoples' Day' at the conference in Belém and follows intense demonstrations by Indigenous groups demanding greater representation and faster action on land rights. Protesters with signs reading "demarcation now" have been a prominent feature of the summit, with some demonstrations leading to clashes with security.

The newly recognised territories span hundreds of thousands of hectares across seven states and are home to thousands of people from diverse communities, including the Mura, Tupinambá de Olivença, Pataxó, Guarani-Kaiowá, Munduruku, Pankará, and Guarani-Mbya peoples. One of the territories, Sawré Ba'pim, belongs to the Munduruku people, whose protests last week directly prompted a government promise for action. Another significant area is the Tupinambá de Olivença territory in Bahia state.

A Shift in Policy and a Tool Against Deforestation

This action marks a continuation of President Lula's policy to resume and accelerate the recognition of Indigenous lands, a process that had completely stalled under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. Since taking office in 2023, Lula's administration has now advanced the recognition of 21 Indigenous territories, compared to zero between 2018 and 2022. Under Brazilian law, demarcation grants Indigenous peoples exclusive rights to the land for their traditional ways of life, banning activities like illegal mining and logging and restricting commercial farming.

This legal protection is globally recognised as one of the most effective barriers against deforestation. Indigenous lands in Brazil currently cover about 13.8% of the national territory and are vital for preserving biodiversity. Scientific studies consistently show that these territories have significantly lower deforestation rates. A coalition including the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute found that expanding these protected areas could prevent up to 20% of additional deforestation and cut carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. Dinamam Tuxá of APIB celebrated the announcement at COP30, stating, "If you demarcate indigenous lands, you guarantee this area will be protected... Consequently the entire humanity benefits from it."

Global Significance and Kenyan Parallels

The events in Brazil carry significant weight for global climate negotiations and resonate with similar challenges in Kenya and East Africa. The scientific consensus is that Indigenous peoples are the best guardians of the world's biodiversity, protecting an estimated 80% of it on their lands. Brazil's policy of formalising land tenure as a climate strategy offers a powerful model for conservation worldwide.

This approach contrasts sharply with the 'fortress conservation' model often seen in parts of Africa, including Kenya, where Indigenous communities have been evicted from their ancestral lands in the name of creating protected wildlife reserves. Communities like the Maasai, Sengwer, and Endorois have faced displacement for the creation of national parks and conservancies, leading to protracted legal battles and human rights complaints. While the 2010 Kenyan Constitution and subsequent laws provide a framework for recognising community land rights, implementation has been slow and fraught with challenges, leaving many communities vulnerable.

The struggles in Kenya often revolve around conflicts between conservation goals, tourism revenue, and the ancestral rights of communities who have stewarded these ecosystems for centuries. The developments at COP30 in Brazil highlight an alternative path: legally empowering Indigenous communities is not a barrier to conservation but is, in fact, one of its most effective tools. As global leaders debate climate finance and forest protection, Brazil's decision underscores the critical importance of integrating Indigenous rights into national and international climate action plans.