Forests regenerate on titled Indigenous territories: A multiscale interdisciplinary analysis of 25 Indigenous communities over 40 years in the Peruvian Amazon

Key messages

• Tropical forests are highly regenerative, and people who live there often support natural regeneration and reforestation, so it is critical to report on these and not only on forest loss (deforestation).
• Titling Indigenous community territories (ICTs) can prevent outsiders from taking over degraded forest areas for other uses, thereby supporting more forest regeneration.
• Formalizing tenure for Indigenous territories can be an important component in advancing regional, national and global agendas for reforestation, climate change and justice.
• Communities vary considerably in their visions of conservation and development, including how they relate to nature as well as how and why they may deforest and reforest. Those who direct the flow of environmental conservation funds must consider these variations, rather than assuming that all Indigenous communities are inherently devoted to environmental stewardship.
• Multidisciplinary science that includes Indigenous experience and knowledge reduces the likelihood that ‘one size fits all’ environmental solutions based only on Remote Earth Observation data will be employed.

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