A landmark study shows Indigenous forests in the Amazon cut risks of 27 diseases, from respiratory to vector-borne illnesses.
A groundbreaking study published in Communications Earth and Environment, part of the Nature Group, reveals that communities in the Amazon living near well-preserved forests within Indigenous territories face a lower risk of two major health threats: respiratory and cardiovascular diseases triggered by forest fires, and illnesses transmitted through closer human contact with animals and insects.
The research, released just as the Amazon enters peak fire season and ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil, strengthens the evidence that Indigenous land stewardship is vital for tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, and reducing the spread of diseases.
Forest fires, in particular, have been shown to unleash immediate and severe health crises for millions of people.
“Indigenous forests in the Amazon bring health benefits to millions,” said Paula Prist, Senior Programme Coordinator of the Forests and Grasslands Programme at IUCN.
“We have long known that the rainforest is home to medicinal plants and animals that have cured countless illnesses. This study offers new evidence that forests themselves are a balm for fire-related threats to people’s lungs and hearts, to illnesses like Chagas, malaria and spotted fevers. Ensuring Indigenous communities have strong rights over their lands is the best way to keep forests and their health benefits intact.”
20 Years of Data Reveal Alarming Health Impacts
Researchers examined 20 years of data on 27 health issues – 21 fire-related and six zoonotic (spread from animals to people) or vector-borne (spread from insects to people) diseases – across eight Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and French Guiana.
The study “Indigenous Territories Can Safeguard Human Health Depending on the Landscape Structure and Legal Status” revealed that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples consistently decrease disease incidence.
“The study comes just as forest fire season arrives in Amazon countries,” said Ana Filipa Palmeirim, visiting professor, Federal University of Pará and co-first author of the study. “These fires fill the air with thick, choking smoke, sending droves to the hospital for respiratory ailments. As daily life comes to a complete standstill, children and the elderly must stay home to avoid hospital visits. Even when fires take place in remote forest areas, winds spread the pollution far and wide, creating deadly public health emergencies.”
Fires, Deforestation, and Rising Health Emergencies
Between 2001 and 2019, almost 30,000,000 cases of fire-related, zoonotic, and vector-borne diseases were reported in the Amazon rainforest. Illnesses studied include Chagas disease, malaria, hantavirus, visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis and spotted fevers.
Studies have shown that deforestation is directly linked to a rise in these so-called neglected tropical diseases, which don’t have readily-available cures.
Across the region, deforestation is increasing due to aggressive agriculture expansion, oil drilling and large infrastructure projects like roads and hydropower plants.
Intentionally set forest fires have emerged as a particularly significant threat to the Amazon region and the people living there.
Many fires are started by illegal actors who cut down forests without permission to do so, then burn the remaining vegetation to make room for cattle grazing or crops.
Climate change impacts such as high temperatures and decreased rainfall increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires and the area burned.
Exposure to these fires leads to increased respiratory symptoms, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and lung cancer, as well as bronchitis, asthma, chest pain, chronic lung and heart problems. In the Amazon, forest fire smoke is directly linked to an increase in hospitalizations for these ailments.
In the Brazilian Amazon alone, between 2002 and 2011, the fires were responsible for, on average, 2,906 premature deaths from cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer.
The study released today builds on recent research findings that the Indigenous forests in the Brazilian Amazon can potentially prevent about 15 million cases of respiratory and cardiovascular infections each year by soaking up pollutants emitted by forest fires.
Source-International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)