30x30: Indigenous communities in the Amazon are advancing criteria to ensure that their biodiversity conservation efforts are recognized internationally
Indigenous territories are essential to achieving the 30x30 biodiversity goal—a global commitment agreed upon in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect at least 30% of the planet’s land, marine, and inland water areas by 2030.
A study highlighted by WWF reveals that 91% of the lands managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities are in good or moderate ecological condition. Their contribution lies not only in land management but also in the effectiveness of their conservation efforts, which are based on ancestral knowledge. Likewise, Motion 068 elevates the role of indigenous peoples within the Amazon basin, recognizing the indigenous knowledge and governance of more than 500 Amazonian indigenous peoples, including 185 in isolation or initial contact who have sustained life in the Amazon for millennia.
In this context, on April 27, a forum for dialogue and collective action was held in Madre de Dios, aimed at testing and refining the criteria for identifying conserved indigenous territories within the framework of the 30x30 Biodiversity Goal. This initiative arose following the 2025 National Meeting of Indigenous Organizations, organized by the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP), during which it was agreed to develop a proposal that incorporates the diverse realities and forms of governance to establish criteria.
© Daniel Peña / FENAMAD
The event, held in Puerto Maldonado, brought together representatives from AIDESEP, as well as its member organizations: the AIDESEP Ucayali Regional Organization (ORAU), the Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries (FENAMAD), the Harakbut Yine and Matsigenka Council (COHARYIMA), the Indigenous Council of the Lower Madre de Dios Region (COINBAMAD), the Administrator of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP), WWF Peru, WCS, and the SPDA.
“Indigenous governance not only protects our territories but also ensures the future of the Amazon and of future generations”, said Eusebio Ríos Iviche, vice president of FENAMAD.
Participants addressed key issues such as the global 30x30 goal and its context in Peru, the importance of Indigenous Territories in biodiversity conservation, territorial governance from the perspective of Indigenous organizations, as well as the presentation and validation of criteria and methodologies for conservation pilot projects.
“This process is important because it incorporates input from AIDESEP’s regional chapters and is a request aimed at asserting the rights of Indigenous peoples”, said Tabea Casique Coronado, a member of AIDESEP’s Board of Directors.
© Daniel Peña / FENAMAD
In addition, the matrix of criteria for self-assessment by communities regarding the conservation of their territories was reviewed, and the contributions gathered will be incorporated so they can be applied by launching a pilot project with seven indigenous communities in the Las Piedras basin. Subsequently, it is expected that these criteria will be applied in the Ese Eja communities and the areas of Eca Amarakaeri and COHARYIMA.
“We must support the establishment of a global registry specifically for areas conserved by indigenous territories—a first step—while respecting their self-determination regarding their own economic, social, and environmental development, and one that also identifies the various forms of indigenous governance”, says Eddy Peña, an officer at WWF Peru.
This meeting reaffirms the commitment of Amazonian peoples to protecting biodiversity and fulfilling international commitments, consolidating their role as key actors in the sustainable management of territories and in the fight against climate change.
© Daniel Peña / FENAMAD
These territories predate the formation of states; they were not created by law or decree like Protected Areas or Other Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Their conservation is not their stated purpose. It is the result of governance, culture, and ancestral knowledge. It promotes models of inclusive conservation. The text of Target 3 explicitly distinguishes three approaches: Protected Areas, OECMs. and the recognition of indigenous and traditional territories, supported by Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
