With 100% of the economy being dependent on nature, the way we choose to define our economies going forward will tip the scales towards either an equitable nature-positive future, or an irreversible nature-negative one – with devastating impacts for people and the planet. The ‘bioeconomy’…

In the Colombian Amazon, women defenders play a crucial role in combating climate change by protecting their territories and communities. Given that Colombia ranks among the most dangerous countries for environmental and human rights activists, these women confront numerous risks. The conflicts mainly focus around…

This study on Bolivia, in partnership with InSight Crime, provides a comprehensive overview of the complex network of actors, including state and non-state entities, and the relationships that perpetuate environmental crime in the Bolivian Amazon. It seeks to understand the contemporary dynamics of environmental crimes…

In 2022, according to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the Brazilian Amazon experienced 11,594 square kilometers of deforestation, a reduction of just over 11% from the previous year. Much of this deforestation stems from illegal activities driven by sophisticated national and transnational criminal…

The social reintegration process for former inmates presents challenges that extend beyond the confines of the justice system alone. In the Brazilian context, marked by regional disparities and social, racial, and educational inequalities, the lack of material, financial, and psychosocial support places ex-inmates in a…

The Amazon, known for its biodiversity, is the scene of intense geopolitical disputes around the exploitation of its natural resources, involving various significant economic actors, illicit groups, and criminal activities. Among the various illicit activities present in the daily life of the region, we can…

Women in the Peruvian Amazon face multiple pressures – environmental, economic, and social. Against a backdrop of profound social inequality in Peruvian society, exacerbated by the historical marginalization of indigenous communities, the defenders interviewed for this study conducted by the Igarapé Institute highlight the pressing…

  Extracted from the UNODC’s 2023 World Drug Report, this summary addresses the nexus between drugs and environmental crimes, as well as converging crimes in the Amazon Basin. The extract, for which the head of Innovation at the Igarapé Institute, Robert Muggah, was responsible, indicates…

The planet’s future hinges on safeguarding the remaining tropical forests. These forests, crucial for reducing global temperature by at least 1°C, are home for two-thirds of global biodiversity and absorb 29% of the world’s annual CO2 emissions. In this Global Futures Bulletin, we present a…

On November 17, global temperatures exceeded 2°C for the first time compared to pre-industrial levels. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2023 (COP28) in Dubai, the Igarapé Institute presents an agenda of information and proposals to address the global climate emergency, with a…

Research reveals the violent daily life that has already victimized 765 defenders of the Brazilian Amazon in the last 10 years.   The Igarapé Institute’s report presents the challenges of the region in the voices of women leading the fight for the environment and human…

In the Amazon, women face a dual challenge. On one side, there are social expectations regarding their role in society; on the other, the risks and vulnerabilities that the multiplicity of identities they belong to can create. These expectations significantly impact how they see and…

Featuring a diversified supply of strategic minerals – raw materials in demand for the transition to green energy – Brazil is witnessing a growing demand for crucial minerals in a decarbonized world. The country holds 94% of the world’s niobium reserves, 22% of graphite, 16%…

Deep in the heart of the Amazon basin lie two tri-border regions, where environmental crimes and their perpetrators know no national boundaries. In these vast jungle areas, isolated stretches of critical primary forest are being destroyed to mine gold, grow coca, and harvest timber. The…

Environmental crime in the Amazon has become one of the largest illicit economies in the world, generating annual profits estimated at between $110 billion and $281 billion. However, only 6.3% of money laundering cases reported between 2017 and 2020 to the Financial Action Task Force…