Indigenous Amazonian communities use technology to combat wildfires and preserve biodiversity

Indigenous communities in the Amazon are integrating ancestral knowledge with modern technology to protect rainforest ecosystems from wildfires and biodiversity loss.

In Peru, the Asháninka community has utilized the Paamari programme—a partnership between the Central Asháninka of the Ene River (CARE) and Cool Earth—to combat wildfires. By employing satellite imagery, drones, and radio communications, community brigadistas have significantly reduced fire damage. In the CARE territory, wildfires dropped from 25 in 2023 to nine in 2024, while the total area burned saw an 81% reduction.

In Ecuador, the Achuar community of Sharamentsa is implementing the ‘Sharamentsa Viva’ project in collaboration with Geologic Dome. This initiative uses monitoring cameras and technical training to help local youth document fauna and cultural aspects. The project aims to preserve biodiversity while strengthening cultural identity. UNESCO has noted that combining traditional knowledge with modern technology is a valuable method for monitoring biodiversity in data-scarce regions.