KA’AZAR: book gives voice to the guardians of the forest and reinforces climate alert at COP30
The book synthesizes the trajectory of social organization and territorial protection built by the Tembé, with support from restoration and environmental monitoring actions developed by Ideflor-Bio
The launch of the book “KA`AZAR - Guardians of the Forest: for Climate and Future” marked the program of AgriZone, a parallel event to COP30, promoted by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation). The work, produced by the technical team of the Institute of Forest Development and Biodiversity of Pará (Ideflor-Bio), in partnership with Tembé indigenous people from the Alto Rio Guamá, a territory in northeastern Pará, was presented during the panel “The role of rural communities in the Amazon in the face of climate change: How does organization strengthen actions?”, organized by the International Cooperation Center for Agronomic Research for Development (Cirad) and the Municipality of Paragominas.
The meeting brought together representatives from the public sector, researchers, and indigenous leaders to discuss community strengthening as a strategy of resistance against environmental threats intensified by climate change.
The book synthesizes the trajectory of social organization and territorial protection built by the Tembé in the Indigenous Land Alto Rio Guamá, with support from restoration and environmental monitoring actions developed by Ideflor-Bio. Claudia Kahwage, an environmental analyst and member of the Institute's technical team responsible for organizing the work, highlighted that the launch occurs at a decisive moment to reaffirm the importance of indigenous protagonism in defending the forest.
“This work is very intense because they face various pressures: loggers, invaders, agrochemicals. And now they have to deal with harsher summers, which have caused wildfires. The book shows this struggle and highlights that when they receive institutional support, especially equipment, they greatly strengthen their organization,” said the analyst.
Forest Protection - In the panel, the Ideflor-Bio team contextualized that the publication arises from the project to support forest restoration and territorial protection in the Indigenous Land Alto Rio Guamá, executed in partnership with the local inhabitants. The work documents community processes, monitoring paths, and the difficulties faced by the guardians of the forest in containing threats such as invasions, illegal logging, and the spread of fire — now exacerbated by the more extreme climate scenario. The initiative, in addition to recording the memory of Tembé resistance, seeks to value collective organization as a tool to ensure the continuity of life and the forest.
According to the technical team that conducted the presentation, the book also serves as a political instrument for the Tembé to seek new partnerships and institutional support at COP30. The official delivery of copies to the indigenous people reinforces Ideflor-Bio's commitment to ensuring that the guardians of the forest themselves are the protagonists in defending their territories.
“The work tells this story and presents the difficulties of combating threats. It is a tool for them to have a voice here at COP and to garner partners and funding for the protection they have been carrying out for many years,” said the Institute's team.
From Alto Rio Guamá to the world - The launch of “KA`AZAR” increased the visibility of the work carried out in the Indigenous Land Alto Rio Guamá, reinforcing that the protection of the forest is only possible when the communities living in it have their voices heard and their efforts recognized.
For Claudia Kahwage, “amid COP30, the book echoes an urgent message: supporting indigenous autonomy and vigilance is an indispensable condition for facing the climate challenges that are already imposed on the present and shaping a sustainable future for the Amazon.”
In addition to organizing the content, the production included final review by environmental analyst Maria Jalva Costa Braga and graphic design by Edson Pereira, who gave visual identity to the book and contributed to transforming the guardians' narrative into a reference material on indigenous resistance, environmental monitoring, and climate justice. The result is a work that combines memory, denunciation, and affirmation of rights, while celebrating the strength of Tembé social organization.
Complete work via the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ybQTWYeFF3FQmLuHyQPB-EGZJVpCCo9S/view?usp=sharing
