Past and present of conservation policies in the Amazon basin: status of conservation units, indigenous territories and local communities

ABSTRACT This work builds on the Amazon Assessment Report by the Science Panel for the Amazon (2021), examining historical processes shaping conservation in the Amazon Basin, particularly Protected Areas (PAs) and Indigenous Territories (ITs). It explores the institutionalization of national PA systems, their categories, and the legal status of ITs. We analyze IT recognition across Amazonian countries and its correlation with state policies influencing land occupation, land-use change, and demographics. We highlight management frameworks that incorporate Indigenous and traditional territorialities, recognizing their rights and the role of ecological connectivity in conservation. Examples of landscape-scale conservation initiatives illustrate these approaches. While policy advancements have strengthened PA and IT protections, increasing development pressures threaten decades of conservation achievements. After a decade of declining deforestation, rates surged between 2016 and 2022, even within PAs and ITs. These trends highlight the urgent need for more effective, innovative conservation strategies and political commitment to honoring conservation goals. This article relies on geographical data from the Amazon Network of Georeferenced Socio-Environmental Information (RAISG - https://www.raisg.org/en/), a literature review, and country-specific analyses.