Amazonian Youth Continues Drafting COP30 Vision

Written by the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)

On June 24 and 25, 2025, the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) held the second virtual workshop in a series of five that will culminate in the development and launch of an Amazonian youth vision at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. 

In honor of World Rainforest Day, the workshop convened more than 40 young leaders and scientists from Colombia and Venezuela who participated in two days of virtual collaborative work focused on Amazonian connectivity from ecological, cultural, and economic perspectives. The workshops are part of the process of developing a document that the YAC will present at COP30 in November, outlining the recommendations and commitments of Amazonian youth for the conservation of the region.

The Workshop

Bringing together young researchers, students, practitioners, and Indigenous and local community leaders from Colombia and Venezuela, the workshop revolved around the discussion of the different kinds of connectivity in the Amazon, both through the aspects of assets that such connectivities bring and also the challenges of maintaining them. SPA members, Dr. Emilio Vilanova and Dr. Tina Oliveira-Miranda, joined the workshop to provide participants with context on the importance of Amazonian ecosystems to other regions and globally, highlighting the conversion of ecological and cultural aspects that arise from these connections, as well as the importance of youth engagement in the design and implementation of sustainable solutions. 

The workshop divided participants into smaller groups for the discussion of different types of connectivity throughout the two days. The first working group, Ecological Connectivity, discussed the different ways in which the Amazon Rainforest regulates a variety of ecological systems in the region, and some of the problems affecting such processes. We started by highlighting the importance of the biodiversity in the region, from fauna and flora, that not only constitute a major center for conservation, but also provides food and medicines from the diversity of organisms living in it. The discussion also examined climate and temperature, and how the forest regulates temperature at both a local and global scales–– the evapotranspiration from the trees, for example, is intimately related to the flowing rivers that provide humidity to areas far from the forest. In this case, the water that flows ends up condensing, regulating the temperature and irrigating other biomes and large agricultural areas that, eventually, will produce food for major urban areas.

Illegal mining, extensive agroindustry, the lack of implementation of laws and regulations, armed conflicts and the fragmentation of the ecosystems were a few of the challenges discussed concerning the ecological integrity of the forest. Amongst the actors that should be included in the implementation of the solutions for these problems, we talked about a wide range of them, from local organizations to national governments. What was most interesting wasn’t exactly who we mentioned, but the idea that solutions for the complex sociopolitical issues of the region can only come if such actors are designing solutions collectively, in connection with one another. There’s no magical solution for all the problems, so an articulation in conjunction, including especially Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, is essential in reflecting how we can advance towards a more sustainable forest together. Indeed, the highlight of this discussion was how this ecological connectivity is connected with other connectivities (yes, a lot of connections!), embracing a wide web of cultural significance and political development that makes the forest an even more complex and important place.

And this thought from the first working group blends well with the discussion of the second group, which focused on Cultural and Social Connectivity. This group came to the conclusion that what connects, at the macro-level, the different communities from the Amazon is the common understanding of how identity is created through sustainability. Such is, in turn, woven by the beautiful cultures that shape the social forest and understand it as the source of our lives, materially, symbolically, and spiritually. A problem that these cultures face is the lack of structural and legal recognition of these cosmovisions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, which is also reflected by how the decisions about the social and political aspects of living in the forest are oftentimes taken far away from the actual forest and without considering the most vulnerable communities. Similar to the first working group, what stood out about the actors involved in the solutions is how there should be an articulation in conjunction between all of them so the decisions reflect the actual needs of the communities that live in the region.  

In the working group dedicated to discussing Economic Connectivity, it was quickly established that the Amazon's economic connectivity should not be understood as a mere flow of goods or integration with external markets, but as a material expression of a living web that articulates knowledge, spiritualities, biomes, and ways of life forged over millennia by peoples who learned to live in synergy with the territory. This unique connectivity rests not only on its biodiversity and ecosystem services, but also on its own economies—systems rooted in the territory, such as the so-called “chacras”, fishing, traditional and extractivism, artisanal food processing, and the management of forest cycles. The experience of the "Amazon Pantry," which emerged during the Venezuelan pandemic, reveals the potential of these practices in times of crisis: seasonal use of resources, generation of income with local added value, and inclusion of youth, all without disrupting connectivity with the forest. This connected and identity-based economy, however, is under increasing threat: predatory mining, the expansion of livestock farming and monocultures imposed by a colonial development model, the mismatch between state economic incentives (focused on commodities rather than sustainable solutions), disrespect for the intellectual property of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, the lack of access to safe water, and the impact of climate change on ecological and food cycles are key obstacles.  Therefore, it is urgent to build a multisectoral and intergenerational alliance that protects and enhances these economies and their territories. The Amazon's economic connectivity can only fulfill its civilizing role if it remains alive—alive, complex, and diverse—and supported by a long-term policy that recognizes the forest and its people as the common future of humanity.

Conclusion

This second workshop made clear that the Amazon is not just a biome—it is a living, interdependent network of ecologies, cultures, and economies, all deeply connected and collectively sustained. Across all working groups, a powerful shared thread emerged: true solutions for the Amazon must be co-created, rooted in the knowledge and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and supported by inclusive governance. As the SPA Youth Advisory Committee continues to facilitate the development of this regional youth vision for COP30, this gathering reaffirmed the urgency—and possibility—of building a future in which the forest is not merely conserved, but actively sustained through collective care, ancestral wisdom, and intergenerational solidarity.