Saamaka tribe uses technology to defend Suriname rainforest

The Saamaka people in Suriname are increasingly utilizing modern technology, including satellite imagery, GPS mapping, and forest patrols, to combat illegal logging and gold mining in their ancestral territories. Recent patrols discovered abandoned excavators and makeshift camps in areas previously believed to be untouched.

Since 2001, tribal territories in the region have lost approximately 154,000 hectares of forest. While Suriname remains one of the world’s few carbon-negative countries with roughly 93% forest cover, expanding roads are facilitating incursions into the interior.

Through the Apaki initiative, Saamaka communities are documenting their traditional forest management systems. They aim to use this evidence to secure government recognition of their collective land rights, a mandate from an international court that has remained largely unfulfilled for nearly two decades. Last year, the Surinamese government pledged to protect 90% of its tropical forests and strengthen conservation laws.