Amazon Communities Receive Fraction of Promised Climate Funds
Despite significant financial commitments aimed at preserving the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous and local communities receive only a small fraction of the promised climate funds. According to a report by Rainforest Foundation Norway and Amazon Watch, between 2011 and 2020, only 0.74% of official climate aid intended for land tenure and forest management reached Indigenous communities, with a mere 0.13% managed directly by these groups.
The 2021 United Nations Climate Pledge announced at COP26 included a $1.7 billion commitment to support land rights for Indigenous and local communities. However, only about 48% of these funds have been disbursed, and of those, just 2.1% went directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities, down from 2.9% in 2021.
Further analysis by the Forest Declaration Assessment and Systems Change Lab reveals that less than 10% of international climate finance reached the local level between 2006 and 2016, where adaptation actions are implemented. Only 7% of overall climate finance was tracked transparently enough to be included in analyses.
Structural barriers, such as bureaucratic delays and lack of direct funding mechanisms, contribute to this shortfall. Indigenous groups often lack the necessary markers or mechanisms to track and claim climate funds effectively, further limiting their access to direct financial support.