Protecting Public Forests in the Amazon:
a Pathway to Global Climate Action
Almost 50 million hectares of tropical forests in the Amazon, an area the size of Spain or the Brazilian state of Bahia, are at risk of disappearing. These territories, known as Undesignated Public Forests (UPFs), play a crucial role in global climate regulation and are home to Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities who keep the forest alive. Yet, as untitled public lands, they remain highly vulnerable to illegal deforestation and land grabbing. Brazil now stands at a pivotal moment, with the opportunity to safeguard the planet and strenghten community land rights by designating these forests as protected areas, as mandated by law.
The project
Together, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), the Brazilian Association of Members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Environment (ABRAMPA), Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPF), Seja Legal com a Amazônia, Amazônia de Pé, and a coalition of dedicated social movements are committed to turning this legal right into reality.
Through scientific and technical research, combined with a strategic media campaign, we aim to support decision-making processes to accelerate the designation of UPFs, inform private sectors and civil society, while strengthening legal mechanisms to combat illegal deforestation and land grabbing in the Brazilian Amazon.
PUBLICATIONS, ACTIONS AND PRODUCTS OF THE PROJECT
Strengthening Forest Governance
For nearly a decade, IPAM has utilized scientific and participatory mapping to guide decision-makers in the designation of public forests. IPAM has collaborated with a robust network of stakeholders, including Brazilian ministries and agencies, as well as state institutions and social organizations that represent Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities, and smallholders.
This collaborative effort has been instrumental in supporting the Technical Chamber for Land Designation and Regularization of Federal Rural Public Lands to reserve over 800 million hectares of public lands. Insights from the first workshop have since guided the Technical Chamber’s work, leading to the indication of approximately 14 million hectares of public lands for designation, 10.4 million of which are UPFs.
Learn more about these workshops and technical studies:
- Technical Note presents the results of the workshop entitled; Building sustainable and collective solutions for undesignated areas in southern Amazonas, held in the city of Manaus.
- In a meeting with Minister Marina Silva and officials from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Ministry of Agrarian Development, local leaders presented material outlining the demands and experiences of traditional populations and family farmers regarding the allocation of federal public lands.
Advancing Climate Justice and Legal Innovation – ABRAMPA & MPF
In collaboration with the Brazilian Association of Members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Environment (ABRAMPA) and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPF), IPAM has worked in many initiatives to combat illegal deforestation in public lands. Approved by the National Council of Justice (CNJ) under the Protocol for the Judgment of Environmental Lawsuits, the climate damage methodology — available through the CCAL Platform — to support legal actions against illegal deforestation, quantifies and monetizes the CO2 emissions resulting from illegal deforestation. The methodology is already transforming Brazil’s legal system and can be accessed and applied by judges, prosecutors and the Federal Police.
Technical Note on the Enforceability and Quantification of Climate Damage in Tort Cases Involving Illegal Logging
Technical Note on the Measures Needed for the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) to Become an Effective Tool to Curb Land Grabbing and Deforestation in Public Areas of the Amazon
Guidelines for Prosecutors: Compensation for Climate Damages in Tort Cases Involving Illegal Logging
Environmental Due Diligence Guidelines for Purchases of Brazilian Products by the European Union According to Regulation (EU) nº 1115/2023
The initiative is aligned with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Advisory Opinion No. 32/25 on “Climate Emergency and Human Rights,” which recognizes the climate crisis as an urgent threat to human rights and affirms that states have a legal duty to prevent climate damages.
Engaging the Private Sector – Seja Legal com a Amazônia
IPAM and Seja Legal com a Amazônia have worked together to inform the private sector about forest protection and sustainable finance. The initiative informs investors and companies about the financial and reputational risks of land grabbing and promotes responsible business practices across supply chains. The partnership reached major financial actors such as Itaú, XP Investments, Capitânia Investimentos, and the IDB’s Green Finance Working Group, presenting analyses on deforestation-linked risks and opportunities for sustainable investment.
To learn more about the dialogues with the financial sector, access this link.
Monitoring and Escalating the Agenda — Amazônia de Pé
In partnership with Amazônia de Pé, IPAM co-developed the Public Forest Observatory, a web platform that monitors deforestation, illegal rural enviromental registries (CAR) on UPFs, as well as the progress of UPFs designation. The Observatory has become a trusted source for policymakers, journalists, and social organizations. The partnership also supports the Bill of Popular Initiative (PLIP), a nationwide campaign gathering signatures to demand that public forests be formally designated to protect Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities.
More information about the Public Forest Observatory:
Communicating Change and Empowering Voices — Amazoniar
IPAM’s Amazoniar project connects the perceptions of traditional communities with science and storytelling to inspire collective action, raising awareness of land rights and highlightingb the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities in the management and governance of their territories. This vision comes to life in the award- winning documentary “The Chief’s Call: Heritage, Land and Future,” which celebrates the Indigenous leader Chief Raoni and his role in climate defense.
To explore Amazoniar project campaigns and audiovisual productions, click here.
How does a community fight to protect its territory?
The Chief's Call: Heritage, Land, and Future
COP 30 | A Collective Call to Action
At COP 30 in Belém, this initiative represents an integrated model of inclusive climate governance, aligned with the summit’s key pillars:
- Climate Action & Biodiversity Protection – large-scale forest designation and conservation;
- Justice & Inclusion – securing land rights for Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities, and smallholders;
- Sustainable Transitions – engaging legal and financial sectors in low-carbon, deforestation-free development.
Where can you find us at COP 30?
November 10th
O Sul Global reformulando o multilateralismo climático: natureza, segurança alimentar e transições justas
Time: 6:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Location: Blue Zone / Blue Pavilion of the Amazônia de Pé
November 11th
Diálogos para o futuro na COP 30: a Amazônia em debate
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Location: Auditorium of the Law School of CESUPA (Alcindo Cacela Avenue , 980 –
Umarizal, Belém/PA)
November 12th
CCAL e Cálculo do Dano Climático: do desmatamento ilegal à Justiça Climática
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Science and Technology Park – PCT Guamá
November 13th
Emerging Territories – Undesignated Public Forests COP 30
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Location: Casa Balaio (Nazaré Avenue, 669 – Belém/PA)
Spaces are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
“The Chief’s Call: Heritage, Land and Future” Mini-Documentary Exibition
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Casa Balaio (Nazaré Avenue, 669 – Belém/PA)
Spaces are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
November 14th
Observatório de Florestas Públicas
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Observatório do Clima Space
November 15th
Brazilian Solution to the Global Climate Crisis: The Contribution of Public Forests in the Amazon
Time: 10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
Location: Blue Zone/Consórcio Space
November 17th
Floresta, Clima, Restauração e Políticas Públicas
Time: 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Location: IDEFLOR-Bio (Utinga Street, No. 723, Curió-Utinga – Belém/PA)
November 18th
Public Prosecutor’s Office at COP30 – Side Event
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Fabrício Ramos Couto Auditorium – CEAF/MPPA (João Diogo Street, No. 52,
Cidade Velha District, Belém/PA)
Open to the public upon registration: here
IPAM will participate in the panel “Deforestation and the Production Chain”
Brazilian Solution to the Global Climate Crisis: The Contribution of Public Forests in the Amazon
Time: 4:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Blue Zone/Hub Amazônia
November 20th
Emerging Territories – Undesignated Public Forests
Time: 11:00 p.m.
Event location: Amazônia Sempre Space – Museu Goeldi
Central da Cop
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Event location: Espaço iCS
Partners
Financiers
Together, we demonstrate that protecting public forests is a pathway to long-term socioecological transformation, where a socially equitable, resilient, and sustainable Amazon stands as a cornerstone of global climate action.
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