The new Policy Tracker and Scoreboard reveal how Amazonian countries regulate mercury and gold mining, fostering accountability and better environmental governance.

From November 3 to 7, 2025, the 6th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury took place in Geneva, Switzerland,. The Minamata Convention is a global treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury. At this year’s “COP6”, Amazon Conservation presented the development of our Policy Tracker and Scoreboard on Gold Mining Governance Across the Amazon during the Knowledge Lab organized by Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and the Conservation Strategy Fund.

Through this initiative, Amazon Conservation aims to strengthen the Amazon Mining Watch platform by offering a comparative tool that enables users to explore national legislations and policies across Amazonian countries, fostering a more transparent and sustainable path for the gold mining sector.

The session brought together participants and stakeholders to discuss how the Policy Tracker and Scoreboard, to be embedded on Amazon Mining Watch, can help combat mercury use in mining. By visualizing geospatial data on mining areas and analyzing how countries regulate illegal gold mining and mercury use, Amazon Conservation seeks to promote transparency, inspire policy improvements through emulation of good practices, and support greater alignment between national frameworks and international environmental standards.

 

 

 

8-part video collaboration launched on November 4, 2025, rolling out a new episode twice a week through November 26. 

The series began with an official pre-release episode, Rainforests: Guardians of Earth’s Balance – A Journey from Hawaii to the Amazon, set in Waimea Valley, Hawaii.

 

 

Standing amid the lush rainforests of the Waimea Valley, the importance of preserving tropical ecosystems becomes immediately clear. Inspired by these forests in Hawai‘i, a new eight-part video series begins a journey to the Amazon Rainforest, one of the planet’s most critical life-support systems, which is now approaching an irreversible tipping point.

The series was conceived by Heather Murata, founder of EcoWellness Journeys, who sought to create a program that could inspire global audiences to learn about and protect the Amazon. To ensure scientific accuracy and on-the-ground expertise, Murata partnered with Amazon Conservation, a nonprofit with over 25 years of experience safeguarding the rainforest through real-time satellite monitoring, Indigenous partnerships, and habitat restoration.

The result is a strategic collaboration that blends Murata’s concept, storytelling, and production with Amazon Conservation’s field-based knowledge to produce a visually rich, educational, and emotionally compelling series. Viewers are taken from Waimea Valley to the heart of the Amazon, exploring its biodiversity, learning from Indigenous stewards, and understanding the urgent need for action to protect this irreplaceable ecosystem for future generations.

Release Schedule

• Oct 23 – Series Premiere: From Hawai‘i to the Amazon – Why Rainforest Protection Matters
• Nov 4 – Episode 1: Amazon Teetering on the Brink? — The urgent truth about deforestation and climate change.
• Nov 6 – Episode 2: Revealing Nature’s Pharmacy — The rainforest’s hidden medical potential—and why it’s at risk.
• Nov 11 – Episode 3: Beautiful Guardians of Life — Why the Amazon’s biodiversity is essential to us all.
• Nov 13 – Episode 4: Unsurpassed Wisdom of the Forest — How Indigenous cultures lead in conservation.
• Nov 18 – Episode 5: Silent Casualties: Wildlife Loss from Deforestation — The devastating impact on wildlife.
• Nov 20 – Episode 6: The Miracle Breath — How the Amazon shapes our weather and climate.
• Nov 25 – Episode 7: The Amazon Under Siege — The truth about illegal exploitation and its consequences.
• Nov 26 – Episode 8: How to Be a Voice for the Amazon — Practical tips to make a difference from anywhere.

 

Why It Matters

A thriving Amazon Rainforest matters to the people who live there, to the countries it encompasses, and to the entire world. The Amazon contains the single largest tropical rainforest on the planet. Covering about 40% of the South American continent, it spans more than 1.6 billion acres across nine countries. Stretching east from the foothills of the Andes Mountains, the upland glaciers, streams, and wetlands feed the Amazon Rivers that wind all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, creating the world’s largest river basin. The Amazon’s forests and waters make it the most important terrestrial biome on the planet.

Yet the Amazon is getting closer to its “tipping point”— when it will no longer be able to generate its own rainfall and support its rainforest ecosystems. Estimates place the current deforestation level of the Amazon at 17%, while its tipping point is estimated at 20-25%. If the tipping point is surpassed, the largest rainforest on Earth could become—at best—a dry grassland. Urgent action is needed now to prevent reaching this irreversible point of no return.

How to Watch & Take Action

The 8-part series, Amazon Rainforest & Beyond: Conservation Series, premiered on November 4, 2025 on YouTube. 

With the holiday season approaching, viewers have an opportunity to turn inspiration into impact. By supporting Amazon Conservation, you can help protect forests and habitat, sustain Indigenous and local communities, and ensure the Amazon’s vital ecosystems and wildlife continue to thrive. Donations can also be made in honor of a loved one, creating a meaningful gift that contributes to lasting change.

Support the Amazon here:

Donate Today

About EcoWellness Journeys

EcoWellness Journeys creates inspiring, educational content that explores the vital connection between human and planetary health, offering stories and actionable steps for living in harmony with the Earth. Their mission is to inspire healthier, more sustainable lives by exploring the symbiotic relationship between Mind, Body, Spirit, and Planet.

 

About Amazon Conservation

For over 25 years, Amazon Conservation has worked to unite science, innovation, and people to protect the Amazon – the greatest wild forest on Earth. We envision a thriving Amazon that sustains the full diversity of life. Amazon Conservation’s focus on protecting wild places, empowering local people and putting science and technology to work has been shaped by the people and land where we began.

 

 

Behind every success at Amazon Conservation is an array of individuals with a shared passion for the Amazon: our generous donors and funders, dedicated staff (bothon the ground in Latin America and at our headquarters in Washington,DC), and world-class Board of Directors. Our Board brings together passionate leaders in science, business, and conservation who selflessly lend their invaluable expertise, vision, and financial support to help protect the rainforest we all love and the people who depend on it.

Andrew Wilcox hit the ground running when he joined the Amazon Conservation Board not too long ago in 2023. Andrew boasts an extensive background in the field of bioeconomy, including in the Amazon, with professional experience in the sustainable commercialization of forest products such as açaí and Brazil nuts — a perfect complement to our forest-based economy initiative. He’s been hard at work behind the scenes at Amazon Conservation, actively leading several exciting pilot projects within the Board.

Keep reading to discover how Andrew found his way from the concrete jungle of New York City to the forests of the Amazon – and to Amazon Conservation!

 

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but some of my happiest memories are from summers spent exploring the Housatonic River in Connecticut, which sparked my lifelong curiosity about and love of nature. After studying Economics and History in undergrad, I joined the Peace Corps and spent more than half a decade living and working in rural Latin America (Paraguay, Peru, and Brazil), followed by two years on an organic farm in New York’s Hudson Valley. Later, I earned Master’s degrees in Sustainability and Forestry, worked at a nature- and space-tech startup, and eventually joined Unilever, where I’ve spent the past eight years sourcing ingredients and commodities sustainably, from palm oil in Indonesia to soybeans in Iowa. My current role is Associate Director of Sustainability for Procurement Strategy & Insights at Unilever.

These days, I live outside Boston with my wife and young daughter. And a fun family fact: one of my distant ancestors actually explored and mapped parts of the northeastern Amazon back in the 1600s in what’s now the Brazilian state of Amapá!

 

What sparked your interest in conservation?

I’ve had an affinity for nature since childhood, but my first hands-on experience with conservation (or what I like to call “applied nature”) came during my Peace Corps service in Paraguay. I learned so much from the Paraguayans’ deep connection to nature – especially medicinal plants (“pohã” in the native Guarani language) — knowledge I applied when starting a business exporting yerba mate, a caffeinated herbal tea endemic to South America, to a new US consumer market. While operating my yerba mate business, I focused heavily on the lessons I’d learned from local Indigenous peoples with regard to agroforestry, novel ingredients, and the reforestation of key watersheds in the eastern Amazon. 

How did you first connect with Amazon Conservation? 

After my yerba mate business ended, I decided to take a leap of faith and follow a lifelong dream: I went to “the greatest wild forest on Earth.” Amazon Conservation was well-established by then, so I found Amazon Conservation through my online research and applied for a volunteer position at the Manu Biological Station in Peru. I eventually managed a project focused on improving soils for sustainable agriculture and had the incredible opportunity to learn directly from Amazon Conservation’s co-founders, Adrian Forsyth and Enrique Ortiz, whose mentorship played a formative role in how I think about the Amazon, sustainability, and life. 

From your perspective as a Board Member, what is it that sets Amazon Conservation apart from other similar organizations?

Reaching 25 years is an amazing accomplishment! But what really stands out to me is how Amazon Conservation combines innovation with deep community partnership. From deforestation monitoring to expanding the bioeconomy, Amazon Conservation ensures that technology isn’t just state-of-the-art, but also that it’s accessible to and scalable for the people who live and work in the Amazon. To me, as someone who has spent a significant portion of my career working with technology – in big corporations, startups, and academic research – it is that human-centered approach to conservation that truly makes Amazon Conservation exceptional.

What have you learned from your Board service thus far?

That relationships are everything. Lasting conservation isn’t just about protecting forests; it’s about nurturing the relationships that make protection possible. Amazon Conservation’s widespread impact is possible only thanks to close collaboration with our sister organizations in Peru (Conservación Amazónica–ACCA) and Bolivia (Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA), alongside all of our collective networks of local partners. Having an organization in the Global North working with organizations in the Global South on a complementary and co-equal basis is a unique and potent collaborative model that we believe is the most effective pathway for positive impact – and the whole enterprise relies on good, trusting relationships. 

Why is our mission of protecting the Amazon so important?

The Amazon is essential for life on Earth. It stores vast amounts of carbon, regulates rainfall across South America, and sustains millions of people and an unparalleled diversity of species. But beyond its global importance, the Amazon is a place of transcendental beauty, awesome scale, and inconceivable creativity in both the life strategies of the plants and animals it supports and the cultural expressions of the Indigenous and traditional communities that call it home. It’s an irreplaceable part of the Earth’s patrimony that we share with all life. I challenge anyone to go to the Amazon and not walk away convinced that it must be protected.

What advice would you give to others seeking to make a difference? 

Support Amazon Conservation! But beyond donating, simply learning about the Amazon – caring about it and sharing that passion with others – makes a big impact. Awareness leads to action, and it takes ongoing attention and focus to stay engaged with what really matters. Attention is the scarcest resource of all these days, but if we stay committed for the long haul, we can build a future for the Amazon, and for the world, that’s both prosperous and sustainable.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about Amazon Conservation? 

Despite our name, Amazon Conservation isn’t just about protecting forests; it’s about reimagining what development can look like. The Amazon can and should contribute to human wellbeing and prosperity, but in ways that regenerate, not deplete, its natural and human capital. Currently, huge swaths of the Amazon are still being converted to cattle pastures, soybean fields, and gold mining, all of which are extractive in nature. But it doesn’t have to be this way; there is a path forward in which the region benefits from producing high-demand materials in such a way that regenerates the natural and human capital required for production. The transition starts small, maybe with a handful of Brazil nuts or an açaí smoothie, but it leads to something much bigger: a new vision for the region’s future that’s as dynamic, abundant, and beautiful as the forest itself. 

As Andrew’s journey shows, lasting change for the Amazon starts with people who care deeply, think creatively, and act boldly. Join us in protecting this irreplaceable forest and the people and nature that depend on it by making a tax-deductible gift to Amazon Conservation today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a milestone for Bolivian Amazon conservation, local communities and the Municipal Government of Nueva Esperanza, with support from our sister organization Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA and the Andes Amazon Fund, have joined forces to establish the Río Negro Forest for Integrated Management and Ecotourism (called BAMIT Río Negro). This new protected area strengthens conservation and sustainable development in northern Bolivia’s Amazon.

Spanning more than 209,000 hectares (approximately 516,000 acres), this community-driven initiative was established in response to growing environmental threats to the region, including wildfires, illegal mining, deforestation, and land invasions. The Río Negro Forest will serve as a cornerstone for biodiversity protection, sustainable livelihoods, and the preservation of Bolivia’s Amazonian cultural heritage.

A Natural and Cultural Treasure

The protected area is home to unique ecosystems, including Brazil nut forests (Bertholletia excelsa), flood-prone palm groves, floodplains, and ancient geological formations. In addition, researchers have identified petroglyphs and megalithic structures that reveal the ancestral presence of Indigenous peoples such as the Tacanas, Esse Ejjas, Pacahuaras, Cavineños, Yaminahuas, and Machineri.  

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Community Participation and Shared Commitment

The creation of the Río Negro Forest was the result of a collaborative, participatory process involving Indigenous and campesino (rural farming) communities, social organizations, and the Nueva Esperanza FarmWorkers Union.

Throughout this journey, Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA provided technical and strategic support to help design and consolidate the proposal. The Municipal Government will lead the management of the area with support from  local committees, technical coordination teams, and an environmental volunteer program that will strengthen monitoring, enforcement, and education.

A Model for the Future of Conservation

Now part of Bolivia’s National System of Protected Areas, the Río Negro Forest will be managed through a management plan, zoning system, and strategic agenda aimed at ensuring the long-term conservation and sustainable use of its natural resources.

This initiative promotes food security, sustainable economic opportunities, and a balanced relationship between people and nature. It stands as a forward-looking model for conservation, reaffirming Nueva Esperanza’s and its allies’ commitment to protecting the natural and cultural richness of the Amazon for generations to come.

Amazon Conservation is proud to have supported this milestone through the Amazon Conservation Alliance, working alongside its sister organization Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA in Bolivia and local partners to strengthen community-led conservation efforts across the Amazon.

 

 

Groundbreaking analysis shows how the “rivers in the sky” connect the fate of  the entire rainforest and identify which regions are most at risk.

Washington, DC, 16 Sept 2025 – The Amazon will not collapse everywhere at the same time. A new special report by Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP) reveals how “flying rivers” determine which regions of the Amazon are most at risk of reaching the tipping point that will turn irreplaceable rainforests into dry savannas.

“Flying rivers” are moisture highways in the atmosphere, like rivers of rain in the sky, that travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains and provide vital water resources to the nine countries that form the Amazon Basin. They are the silent and invisible force that drives the water cycle of the entire region, making the rainfall that gives the Amazon its title of “rainforest” possible. As this delicate “flying river” is disrupted by human-caused deforestation and the effects of climate change, the impact on people, nature, and wildlife will be catastrophic, potentially including species extinction, increased droughts and lack of water access, and the end of the forest as we know it. 

Amazon Conservation’s latest analysis has identified that key areas of the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon are most susceptible to the negative consequences of the breakdown of the region’s flying rivers. This includes areas in southern Peru and northern Bolivia that are home to some of the most iconic and biodiverse places on the planet, such as Manu National Park and Madidi National Park, which together protect 8.9 million acres of rich forests from the high Andes to the lowland Amazon. 

Corine Vriesendorp, Director of Science at Amazon Conservation’s Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica-ACCA, oversees three biological stations along an altitudinal gradient near Manu National Park: “This research shows that some of the most wild places on the planet, like Manu, are at tremendous risk. We need to come together across the whole Amazon to protect these increible flying rivers to have a chance to avoid the tipping point.” The areas identified by this report as most vulnerable to a possible tipping point directly depend on the continued, uninterrupted water cycle provided by these flying rivers, which begins in Amazonian countries that border the Atlantic Ocean, like Brazil and Guyana. The state of deforestation and conservation in these countries on the “eastern” side of the Amazon will determine how much water will get to countries on the “western” side of the region – like Peru and Bolivia – showing the interconnectedness of the rainforest’s ecosystems that goes beyond country borders.

A threat that crosses borders

“The western Amazon relies on flying rivers to bring water all the way from the Atlantic Ocean, crossing millions of acres of forests in the eastern Amazon before it gets there,” said lead author Matt Finer, Senior Research Specialist and Director of Amazon Conservation’s MAAP initiative. “So the survival of rainforests in Peru and Bolivia actually depends on intact forests in Brazil to the east, since if those forests are destroyed, the water cycle that creates the flying rivers is broken, and it can’t reach the western Amazon. It’s all connected.”

Finer highlights that an important contribution of this analysis is that it reveals that, contrary to the common misconception that the tipping point will happen suddenly and uniformly across the region, it will likely happen progressively, beginning in particularly vulnerable areas and escalating from there.  

         

Seasonal shifts will also intensify the impact on these vulnerable areas. As rainforests tend to experience only two seasons (wet, or rainy, and dry seasons), the amount of water carried through the flying rivers is significantly limited during dry seasons, and exacerbated by human-caused deforestation and the effects of climate change, such as droughts.

Daniel M. Larrea, Director of Science and Technology at Amazon Conservation’s Bolivian sister organization Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA, added that  “this report sheds light on the critical role that flying rivers play in preserving standing forests and water access in the Amazon. Understanding their dynamics allows us to better protect vulnerable regions in Peru and Bolivia, where conservation is not only a local priority but a regional imperative. Science, innovation, and technology must guide our actions to ensure these forests can survive and thrive for generations to come.”

Urgent call in the run-up to COP30

These findings come at a crucial moment, with COP30 approaching in Belém and countries negotiating their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which establish their climate action plans under the Paris Agreement. It highlights how forest conservation is central not only to climate goals but also to the water security for the millions of people and wildlife that call the Amazon home and for the collective survival of entire ecosystems across country borders. Decisions and policies made by Brazilian authorities will directly shape rainfall patterns in neighboring countries, making international cooperation essential.

This groundbreaking analysis was made possible by the Leo Model Foundation, in collaboration with nine scientists and researchers from across the Amazon Basin. It represents the first comprehensive mapping of flying rivers across wet, dry, and transition seasons, with an extensive literature review.

Read the full report here. 

About MAAP
Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), an initiative of Amazon Conservation, Conservación Amazónica–ACCA (Peru), and Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA (Bolivia), provides cutting-edge, real-time technical analysis on deforestation and fires across the Amazon. MAAP uses satellite imagery, data science, and field information to generate timely reports that support conservation action and policy.

About Amazon Conservation Association
Amazon Conservation is an international conservation nonprofit working for the past 25 years towards building a thriving Amazon. The organization’s holistic approach focuses on working with local partners and allies to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work for conservation. Visit amazonconservation.org for more information.

In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, Indigenous leaders are adding a new tool to their forest protection efforts: drones.

Earlier in August, representatives from the Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries (FENAMAD) and leaders of the Indigenous Council of the Lower Madre de Dios (COINBAMAD) took part in a hands-on training on the use of the latest in drone technology. Over the course of the workshop, participants learned how to safely operate, service, and apply cutting-edge drones to monitor their territories and safeguard their forest homes.

 

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Organized by our sister organization, Conservación Amazónica-ACCA, with support Aktion Amazonas, the Erol Foundation, and the D.N. Batten Foundation, this initiative represents a step forward in transferring technology directly to the Indigenous communities.

“Putting science and technology to work is a central pillar of our conservation work,” said John Beavers, President of Amazon Conservation. “Being able to share this technology with communities that need it to safely protect their resources and rights is essential. This continuous support helps ensure the forest stays standing for local people and for all of us.”

By combining ancestral knowledge with cutting-edge technology, communities in the Madre de Dios region of Peru are strengthening their ability to detect threats such as illegal logging, mining, and deforestation and to safely patrol their forests, avoiding direct conflict with illegal actors that could be deadly to them. These trainings not only provide technical skills but also reinforce the autonomy of Indigenous peoples to defend their territories.

At Amazon Conservation, we believe that empowering communities with tools like drones and satellite monitoring is key to long-term conservation. Together with our partners and donors, we are proud to support these efforts that put technology and decision-making directly in the hands of those who know the forest best.

Ixiamas, Bolivia – August 2025 – This month, we celebrate a landmark victory in the Bolivian Amazon, as the Tacana II Indigenous people finally receive the formal title to their territory, guaranteeing the legal protection of over 670,000 acres of forests.

This historic achievement is the result of over two decades of persistence, commitment, and collective vision to overcome the many challenges in the process, led by the Indigenous communities of Puerto Pérez, Las Mercedes, Toromonas, and El Tigre. This triumph was supported by our sister organization, Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, in collaboration with strategic allies such as the Andes Amazon Fund (AAF), Conservation International Bolivia, Fundación TIERRA, CIDOB, CPILAP, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other partners who contributed throughout the process. Amazon Conservation and many of our donors – including the International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), the D.N. Batten Foundation, among others – also backed this monumental effort throughout the years.

We would like to thank all the donors, partners, and supporters of Amazon Conservation and our sister organization, Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, for making this important achievement possible for both people and nature.

A Territory of High Ecological Value

The Tacana II Indigenous Territory is an area of high ecological and strategic importance for the conservation of the Bolivian Amazon. This territory harbors:

– Primary Amazonian forests with high tree diversity, including Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), palms, and hardwoods.

– Key watersheds such as the Madre de Dios River and its tributaries, which sustain aquatic ecosystems and provide access to water and transportation for local people.

 

– Iconic wildlife such as jaguars, tapirs, spider monkeys, macaws, and hundreds of bird, reptile, and amphibian species.

– Medicinal plants and food that are fundamental to Tacana ancestral knowledge and for their sustainable ways of life.

This territory also serves as a biological corridor, connecting national and transboundary protected areas and contributing to climate resilience, water regulation, and carbon sequestration, especially critical in a context of increasing pressure on Amazonian forests.

 

Territorial Sovereignty and Collective Rights

The Tacana II Indigenous Territory is home to four communities, comprising approximately, and this recognition strengthens their territorial sovereignty, guarantees legal protections for collective land rights, and enables communities to exercise autonomy in territorial management, sustainable use of natural resources, and protection of their culture. 

“This is a great achievement from years of sustained effort,” commented John Beavers, President of Amazon Conservation. “It shows that conservation requires long-term commitment and strong partnerships. Our role is to work together with communities, strengthen them, and protect the forests and rivers that allow the Amazon to thrive.”

 

 

 

A Process Built by and Celebrated in Community

For more than two decades, Amazon Conservation and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA have supported this process, fostering collaboration between communities, public institutions, and partners. This achievement is shared and celebrated collectively, as a symbol of resistance, dignity, and hope. 

“We are deeply grateful to all our supporters and to Amazon Conservation, whose trust and collaboration helped keep this collective effort alive,” said Marco Terán, Executive Director of Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA. “Their belief in these goals for so many years made this historic moment possible.”

The formal titling of the Tacana II Indigenous Territory represents a victory for environmental justice, biodiversity conservation, and the recognition of Indigenous peoples as guardians of the Amazon.

 

 

A 2025 Status Report by Amazon Conservation’s sister organization, Conservación Amazónica–ACCA, warns that illicit activity is consolidating along Peru’s borders with Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia, while also expanding into the interior of Peru from Madre de Dios to Cajamarca and Pasco.

Lima, August 25, 2025 – Illegal gold mining is emerging as one of the main threats to the Peruvian Amazon. An analysis of the current situation was presented at an event in Lima today on “2025 Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon, How Are We Doing?” and warns that this illegal activity is already taking place in nine Amazonian regions of the country, affecting up to 73 Indigenous communities and more than 250 bodies of water. This marks a national environmental and social crisis.

During the presentation, it was noted that, in just one year, illegal mining has spread from seven to nine regions with activity now in Cajamarca and Pasco. Madre de Dios remains the epicenter with more than 11,500 hectares (28,400 acres) deforested in the last year. The buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve experienced the most significant increase, accounting for 13% of all illegal mining in the region.

This region includes La Pampa, which was once a symbol of the fight against illegal mining activity and is now completely invaded. In this area alone, there are more than 1,600 dredgers, a 21% increase compared to 2024, reflecting the failure of strategies used in recent years to control the spread.

In Loreto, the Nanay River saw a record high of 42 active dredgers. Meanwhile in Huánuco, 1,763 hectares (4,356 acres) of forest were reported deforested in a single year, including within  the Panguana Private Conservation Area.

At the event in Lima, warnings arose about potential conflicts that may emerge from INGEMMET’s (Peru’s Geological, Mining, and Metallurgical Institute) system for managing mining concessions. Of INGEMMET’s 1,036 new mining applications, 136 overlap with Indigenous communities, 48 ​​with protected areas, and 3 with Indigenous reserves; another 693 overlap with rivers and streams. New illegal frontiers are emerging in Ucayali, Cajamarca, and Pasco.

“Hot borders”, an ignored danger

The presentation also demonstrated that illegal mining is no longer limited to the interior of the country. Illegal mining is now established along border regions, with active enclaves in the Chinchipe and Condorcanqui basins (Ecuador), in the Putumayo tri-border area (Colombia), and on the Madre de Dios River (Bolivia). These “hot borders” confirm how urgently Peru must coordinate action with neighboring countries, beyond the isolated actions implemented within its borders.

 

“This panorama is a clear reflection of how the current political situation—including the abandonment of rural and border areas—has allowed the expansion of this illicit activity. In many cases, illegal mining has mutated from a socioeconomic problem into an organized crime structure that erodes not only the Amazon’s riverbeds and forests, but also social structures and governance spaces,” said Sidney Novoa, Director of GIS and Conservation Technologies at Conservación Amazónica-ACCA.

Two unpublished studies were also presented at the event: one on the impact of illegal mining in priority conservation areas in the Peruvian Amazon, and another on the economic valuation of the impacts of illegal gold mining in the Nanay River basin, both of which provide evidence of the magnitude of the environmental and social problem in the region. You can access these studies here:

Minería Ilegal en Áreas Clave para la Biodiversidad y Zonas Prioritarias para la Conservación en La Amazonía Peruana 

Valorización Económica de los Impactos de la Minería Ilegal de Oro en la Cuenca del Rio Nana

The event in Lima on “2025 Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon: How Are We Doing?” was carried out within the framework of the project “Reducing the Advancement of Illegal Gold Mining and its Impacts in Priority Biodiversity Areas, Conservation Corridors, and Transboundary Landscapes in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil,” funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation with support from Conservación Amazónica–ACCA, the Peruvian College of Engineers, and the organizations that make up the Illegal Mining Observatory.

 

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About Conservación Amazónica–ACCA

Conservación Amazónica–ACCA is a non-profit organization that has been working in the Peruvian Andes Amazon for 25 years, focusing its efforts on three lines of action: science and technology, protecting natural areas, and empowering people. For more information, please contact: comunicaciones@conservacionamazonica.org

About Amazon Conservation Association
Amazon Conservation is an international conservation nonprofit working for the past 25 years towards building a thriving Amazon. The organization’s holistic approach focuses on working with local partners and allies to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work for conservation. 

 

 

As we continue to grow and deepen our impact across the Amazon Basin, we’re excited to share that Amazon Conservation Association’s Washington, DC office is moving to a new home.

Starting August 1, 2025, you can find us at:

1025 Connecticut Ave NW.,  Suite 415
Washington, DC 20036

This move marks an important step forward in creating a space that better serves our staff, partners, and the global community of supporters who power our mission to protect the Amazon rainforest.

If you send donations by mail, please update your records to reflect our new address. While mail sent to our previous location will be forwarded for a limited time, using our updated address ensures your support reaches us without delay. All of our other contact information remains the same.

This change comes at a time of renewed energy and commitment. As we celebrate over 25 years of protecting biodiversity, empowering forest communities, and advancing science and policy for conservation, our new office will support us in taking our work to the next level.

Here’s to a new chapter in our shared journey, one that begins in a new space, but with the same unwavering commitment to conservation. Thank you for being part of the Amazon Conservation community.

Our stories don’t end when we do. The decisions we make today can leave an impact that carries forward: protecting the people and places we care about most.

In a time filled with uncertainty, one of the most powerful things we can do is take action to protect what matters most. From standing with Indigenous communities to preserving the region’s unmatched biodiversity, our work is rooted in resilience and partnership.

This August, during National Make-A-Will Month, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on your own legacy. Creating or updating your will ensures that your values and wishes are honored. It can also be a way to expand your impact beyond your lifetime.

To support you in your planning, we’ve partnered with FreeWill, a free and secure tool that guides you through writing your will in about 20 minutes. Through FreeWill, you also have the option to designate Amazon Conservation as a beneficiary of non-probate assets, like a retirement account or life insurance policy.

 

Click here to create or update your legally‑binding will

 

The Amazon is home to unmatched biodiversity and plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. But it’s under increasing threat from illegal deforestation, mining, and fire. Your legacy can help us continue providing real-time satellite data, science-based solutions, and on-the-ground support to Indigenous and local communities defending the forest.

Leaving a gift in your will doesn’t require great wealth, just great intention. Whether large or small, your contribution will help ensure the Amazon remains thriving and resilient for future generations.

When you protect your future, you also strengthen the roots of global conservation. Together, we can expand our canopy—sheltering the planet, its people, and future generations. Thank you for considering a gift that keeps the forest alive.

P.S. Have you already included a gift to Amazon Conservation in your estate plans? Please let us know so we can thank you.