Amazon climate change and mining threaten indigenous health

Climate change and illegal mining are significantly impacting the health and living conditions of indigenous and traditional communities in the Amazon. In the Baixo Tapajós region of Pará, the Brazilian Ministry of Health conducted an expedition to observe local adaptation strategies and the effects of environmental shifts on riverine populations. The mission included visits to fluvial health initiatives and the FioAres platform, which monitors real-time air quality.

Research from Fiocruz highlights that the combination of severe droughts, heatwaves, and forest fires with the expansion of illegal mining creates compound risks for food security and mobility. Currently, 147 indigenous territories—representing 37% of the total in the Amazon—are located in river basins impacted by mining. The Kayapó, Munduruku, and Yanomami communities are among the most affected. Between 2023 and 2024, there was a notable increase in hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular issues among indigenous people due to smoke from forest fires, with children, pregnant women, and the elderly being the most vulnerable.