The Three Basins Summit in Brazzaville: Paving the Way for a New Era

The upcoming Three Basins Summit in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, has the potential to open doors for an alternative future centered on prioritizing the protection of primary and degraded natural forests. This landmark summit aims to create a global alliance committed to revitalizing 250 million hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It recognizes the paramount significance of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other rights-holding groups in safeguarding and restoring these vital forests.

The Three Basins Summit, which brings together leaders from the Amazon, Congo, and Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia regions, coincides with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and embraces the core tenets of South-South cooperation. Tropical forest nations play a central role in combating deforestation and shaping global climate and biodiversity governance, as the Three Basins collectively house 80% of the world’s tropical forests and two-thirds of terrestrial biodiversity.

The threats facing the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Indonesia rainforests are immense. Encroachment from agribusiness, infrastructure development, logging, mining, carbon and biodiversity offsets, and oil exploration have put these ecosystems at risk. The ongoing climate and biodiversity crises, coupled with persistent social injustices against local communities and Indigenous Peoples, require urgent action to protect and restore primary forests and ecologically degraded natural forests.

The restoration and protection of these forests not only improve prospects for biodiversity but also enhance carbon storage, increase resilience, and promote stability within forest ecosystems. Additionally, it lowers the risk of emissions and tipping points. Hence, addressing the climate and biodiversity crises necessitates integrated plans and solutions that recognize the functional dependencies between biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and climate mitigation and adaptation.

One crucial aspect of successfully conserving these forests is the recognition and protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Africa, Latin America, and Indonesia. Currently, over 75% of forests are protected by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, yet their role and knowledge in nature and biodiversity protection have not received sufficient acknowledgement. Their minimal representation in political arenas, both nationally and internationally, hinders their ability to contribute effectively.

Only 17% of funds allocated to global forest management projects in the past decade included the participation of Indigenous Peoples or local community organizations. To combat this disempowerment, it is crucial to amplify Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ voices and provide them with access to resources to maintain their self-determined biodiversity protection and climate actions.

The Three Basins Summit agenda includes discussions on carbon markets. While carbon markets have potential benefits, it is essential to recognize the risks of commodifying nature and the potential for human rights violations. Carbon markets as the main finance mechanism for nature protection and restoration could exacerbate biodiversity destruction and endanger Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Rather than relying solely on unregulated carbon markets, the summit should consider non-market approaches that emphasize a power shift from corporate capture to regulation and public financing. The Paris Agreement proposes such non-market approaches to finance nature protection and restoration. Moreover, funding initiatives that target Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ efforts to protect and restore forests and natural resources should be identified and amplified.

Looking ahead to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD 16) and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 30), it is crucial to develop a clear pathway for tackling issues related to forests and land. This pathway should include specific demands to world leaders in order to protect and restore forests.

Key demands should include predictable and accessible finance as well as the recognition of the rights and role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in forest protection and restoration efforts. Furthermore, leaders must commit to moving away from extractive and harmful industries that accelerate biodiversity destruction and put Indigenous Peoples and local communities at risk.

The Three Basins Summit in Brazzaville represents a historic opportunity to strengthen South-South cooperation and build an alternative governance pathway. Protecting and restoring forests must be at the forefront of global efforts to address the climate and biodiversity crises. Leaders must recognize the fundamental role of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other rights-holding groups while implementing alternative, sustainable, and non-market funding approaches that center on public financing and regulation rather than unregulated carbon markets.

The governments of countries in the Three Basins must focus on collective action, ensuring the protection and restoration of forests while prioritizing the rights and role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. By doing so, they can pave the way for a more sustainable future of our planet, one that preserves our invaluable ecosystems and respects the rights and knowledge of those who have been guardians of the land for generations.