The Amazon region is home to more than 40 million people, including 2.2 million indigenous individuals belonging to over 300 ethnic groups. This unique ecosystem is home to 10% of all known species and is responsible for generating 20% of the oxygen we breathe.

However, the climate crisis is bringing the world's lungs to a tipping point.

Increasingly prolonged, recurrent and intense forest fires, floods and droughts are threatening the survival of this ecosystem and decades of progress in human development and community resilience.

In response to the growing threats posed by the climate crisis to the health, livelihoods and resilience of Amazonian communities, our Alliance for the Amazon was formed.

This initiative brings together teams from the Red Cross in the nine Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, and puts the voices and knowledge of indigenous peoples at the heart of all its actions.

A comprehensive and collaborative solution

The Alliance for the Amazon brings together indigenous communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, science institutions, and international actors to address the crisis through three pillars:

1. Climate resilience and risk management:

Deforestation, forest fires and the overexploitation of resources increase the risk of disasters such as floods and droughts.

To mitigate these risks and adapt to climate change, we will implement actions based on forecasts, community early warning systems, and disaster risk reduction practices.

2. Sustainable livelihoods and food security:

It is essential to develop sustainable livelihoods that strengthen climate resilience. We will promote sustainable agricultural practices, diversify income sources and protect natural resources.

Additionally, we will integrate nature-based solutions, such as ecosystem restoration and reforestation, to generate long-lasting ecological and economic benefits.

3. Community health and well-being:

The health of these communities is directly affected by environmental degradation and their remote location. Problems such as water pollution, loss of biodiversity and increased disease require urgent attention.

At the heart of it all is the leadership of women, young people, and indigenous peoples.

Harmonising, maximising and rationalising the work of the Red Cross in these areas will help to anticipate and reduce the impact of crises and emergencies that could worsen in the coming years, affecting the present and future of the Amazon.

This work is based on our unique relationship with the states. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are recognised by law or decree as auxiliaries of the public authorities in humanitarian matters, not as NGOs or charitable organisations.

This national status, reaffirmed at the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent —where states party to the Geneva Conventions participate—, makes us strategic allies in advancing a climate agenda with a resilient and human focus.

We are guided by the voices of Amazonian communities

The Amazon has a voice, and the only way to build a resilient future is to listen to it. That is why our alliance focuses on Dialogue Between Knowledge Systems, an initiative that brings together different approaches to understanding the territory and its inhabitants.

These exchanges aim to combine indigenous knowledge, a humanitarian perspective and collective action to address issues such as risk management, health and food insecurity in the Amazon region. This approach improves our understanding of and response to the impact of disasters and the climate crisis, there by promoting sustainable and resilient practices.

The first Dialogue Between Knowledge Systems of our alliance took place in Leticia, in the Colombian Amazon.

These dialogues bring together indigenous peoples and communities, states, NGOs, scientific institutions and other key actors to strengthen resilience to climate risks, improve health and wellbeing, and protect livelihoods.

The Bolivian Chiquitanía was the location of the second Dialogue Between Knowledge Systems in the Amazon. This region is facing floods, fires, droughts and extreme temperatures that affect all aspects of people's lives: their diet, physical and mental health, agricultural management and even their economy, culture and connection to the territory.