Afro-descendant lands in South America contribute to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation

Over 130 million people in Latin America identify as Afro-descendants, many of whom inhabit lands with potential to mitigate biodiversity loss and climate change. Yet, the role of Afro-descendants is not adequately considered in conservation and climate decision-making. Here, we mapped the biological value of Afro-descendant lands in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Suriname, and conducted a matching analysis to estimate the effect of these lands on deforestation. Afro-descendant lands coincide with areas that have high biodiversity and irrecoverable carbon and were associated with a 29%–55% reduction in forest loss compared to control sites. To contextualize these findings, we present a social-historical assessment of Afro-descendant conservation practices. This assessment highlights the adaptation of African knowledge to the American tropics and the development of sustainable environmental practices. Global environmental institutions, multilateral agencies, and governments should include Afro-descendants in environmental decision-making and support research and policies that enable Afro-descendant management practices. Despite covering less than 1 percent of the total land area, Afro-descendant lands in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Suriname have high biodiversity and carbon content, as well as low deforestation rates, according to spatial mapping and socio-historical assessment.