Direct Access to Finance for Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon
This report examines how direct access to finance enables Indigenous Peoples across the Amazon Basin—Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru—to lead climate and biodiversity solutions. It outlines funding barriers, Indigenous-led models, and pathways to strengthen stewardship, territorial governance, and long-term community resilience.
Subject Tags
- Natural climate solutions
Overview
This report outlines why direct access to finance for Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon Basin is essential for protecting forests, strengthening climate resilience, and supporting community well‑being. Despite stewarding 45% of the intact Amazon and managing vast carbon stores critical to global climate stability, Indigenous Peoples receive less than 2% of global climate and biodiversity funding. The report highlights the urgency of closing this funding gap as deforestation accelerates and the Amazon approaches ecological tipping points.
The document synthesizes more than two decades of collaboration between Indigenous organizations and The Nature Conservancy across Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It identifies structural barriers—such as limited donor understanding of community needs, geographic and cultural divides, insufficient representation in global decision‑making, and administrative capacity constraints—that prevent Indigenous communities from accessing funds directly.
The report proposes Indigenous‑led funding platforms as a path forward. These platforms would enable direct dialogue with donors, support proposal development, strengthen governance, and consolidate lessons across Indigenous networks. The authors emphasize that donors and collaborators play a crucial role in supporting this early design phase, ensuring that long‑term climate and biodiversity solutions are shaped and led by Indigenous Peoples themselves.