As seen in the New York Times

Re “Losing ground in the Amazon” (April 16): Your editorial draws welcome attention to the sudden jump in deforestation in Brazil. But what the new satellite data do not show is the fact that Brazil’s recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights to forest land and their effective protection of those forests have been a cornerstone of a successful conservation drive. Research shows that the deforestation that does occur takes place on government and private forest land — not in the forests over which indigenous peoples have secure property rights. In fact, a great untold story is that Brazil has become a global leader in forest conservation in large part because it has been a global leader in recognizing indigenous peoples’ rights to the forests on which they depend.

Unfortunately, the government is moving toward reducing these very rights, opening up their forests for investments in roads and mining. Just when Brazil could be a model for both human rights and conservation, it risks “losing ground” on both.

Andy White, Washington

The writer is coordinator of the Rights and Resources Initiative.

Original Article – Imperiling Brazilian Forests