Arara do Rio Branco Indigenous Land had the highest loss of forest since the beginning of ISA monitoring
During the months of May and June 2022, 142 hectares were deforested in Indigenous Lands with the presence of isolated peoples, according to the ISA Sirad-I bulletin. The extraction of illegal wood and the expansion of mining are the main causes of the exponential increase in deforestation that threatens the lives of isolated people.
In May alone, 30 hectares were deforested in the Arara do Rio Branco Indigenous Land, located in Mato Grosso. The practice took place close to the border of the territory, which facilitates the escape of invaders. This IT has been monitored since the beginning of January. Since then, this is the largest deforestation ever recorded in the territory.
Other monitored ILs also suffered from the advance of deforestation between May and June. In TI Munduruku, 68 hectares were deforested, in TI Kawahiva do Rio Pardo and in TI Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, 12, and in TI Zoró, 5,2 hectares were deforested. It is worth mentioning that, since August 2020, 1,3 million adult trees have been felled in the Piripkura Indigenous Land alone.
Advancement of illegal mining
The months of May and June were marked by illegal requests for mining requirements for the exploration of gold within these Indigenous Lands where peoples in isolation live. Most orders were placed by Oxycer Holding Corporation Exclusive International Business. After denouncement of InfoAmazonia portal, the company withdrew 50 orders registered with the National Mining Agency.
The company had filed five requests for gold exploration research within the Piripkura TI, totaling more than 33 hectares required. Less than 9 km north of Piripkura, a large mine is advancing every day according to the Sirad-I bulletin. Oxycer also filed an application in the Arara do Rio Branco TI and three requests in the Kawahiva do Rio Pardo TI, where the required area reaches approximately 23 thousand hectares.
The resumption of mining activity in the interior of TI Zoró also deserves attention. The first illegal mining site within this territory was identified between January and February and reported to the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), which carried out an operation in the region in May. But in early July, monitoring showed that mining was resumed and the deforested area grew. TI collects mining requirements for copper exploration.