Brazil launches major initiative to strengthen Indigenous land protection and sustainable management

A groundbreaking new conservation project has launched in Brazil, marking a major step forward in the protection of Indigenous territories and the promotion of sustainable land stewardship. The initiative, called Ywy Ipuranguete—which means “beautiful land” in the Tupi-Guarani language—will support Indigenous-led management across 15 Indigenous Lands spanning six million hectares and five vital biomes: the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Caatinga, and Pantanal.

These lands are home to more than 57,000 Indigenous people and encompass ecological treasures critical to Brazil’s environmental health and climate stability.

A model of Indigenous leadership and environmental stewardship

Ywy Ipuranguete is coordinated by Brazil’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) and managed by the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity (FUNBIO). Its core goal is to strengthen Indigenous governance and sustainable land management while expanding protections for biodiversity-rich territories that are increasingly under threat.

The initiative was officially launched on March 18, 2025, at the Memorial of Indigenous Peoples in Brasília. The event brought together Indigenous leaders from across Brazil, government representatives, and key partners from the conservation and funding sectors.

Strategic support for Indigenous-led conservation

With $9 million in funding from the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Ywy Ipuranguete is one of the first GBFF-supported projects to directly advance the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The International Institute of Education of Brazil (IEB) will lead the implementation, with support from Funai, Brazil’s National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples.

Project priorities and impact

Ywy Ipuranguete prioritizes the implementation of Indigenous Territorial and Environmental Management Instruments (IGATIs)—tools like Territorial and Environmental Management Plans (PGTAs) that guide land use while honoring each community’s unique cultural, environmental, and economic contexts. These instruments operationalize Brazil’s National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands (PNGATI).

Key areas of impact include:

• Monitoring and Protection: Investments in drones, radios, and community infrastructure to enhance surveillance and combat illegal deforestation and invasions.
• Sustainable Economic Development: Support for Indigenous value chains such as native fruits, nuts, and bio-jewelry, and connections to public programs like Brazil’s Food Acquisition Program (PAA).
• Training and Cultural Revitalization: Programs focused on building leadership among Indigenous youth and women, fostering participatory governance, and preserving traditional knowledge.
• Food Sovereignty and Ecological Restoration: Promotion of sustainable agriculture practices aligned with Indigenous cultural and environmental values.

Importantly, Indigenous communities will lead the planning and execution of these strategies, ensuring that all actions reflect their priorities, autonomy, and ancestral knowledge. Environmental specialists will provide technical support and monitor outcomes to ensure transparency and effectiveness.

A global example of nature-based solutions

The Ywy Ipuranguete initiative represents a model for conservation rooted in Indigenous stewardship—proving that when Indigenous Peoples are empowered to manage their lands, the results benefit both people and planet.

“The protection of Indigenous Lands is not just an environmental issue, but a fundamental strategy to ensure a sustainable future,” said Rosa Lemos de Sá, Secretary-General of FUNBIO. “This project represents a conservation model based on Indigenous knowledge, which must be valued and strengthened.”

According to Andréia Bavaresco, Executive Coordinator of IEB, combining conservation with sustainable income is the key to long-term resilience: 

“This is how Indigenous Peoples will continue exercising their role as protectors of biodiversity.”