AGP Executive Report

Amazon & Pantanal: Brazil’s Pantanal has entered an aridity-risk zone for the first time on record, while a new report says the area of fragmented native vegetation fell 43% over 38 years. Biodiversity Talks: COP17 ended without agreement on key nature-finance issues, amid clashes over science; Colombia’s newly discovered giant waterlily may have only 30 to 50 plants left in the wild. Indigenous Rights: Indigenous communities in Bolivia denounced EU-backed carbon-credit plans in the Amazon as a new form of colonialism. Climate & Health: A Reuters investigation examines links between heat storms and preterm births in Mexico, as researchers warn rising temperatures can threaten pregnancies even in places that are not usually hot.

Nature Talks: Nations entered COP17’s final day without a deal on nature finance, harmful subsidies or a global progress review, leaving key biodiversity commitments unresolved. Climate Finance: The Green Climate Fund approved a record $1.97 billion in new projects at one meeting, including Brazilian initiatives, bringing its 2026 approvals to $3.3 billion. El Niño: The UN warns worsening floods, drought and heat could push up to 50 million people toward hunger; vulnerable communities across Latin America are among those at risk. Colombia’s Biodiversity: Researchers have identified a giant waterlily in the Orinoco basin, but estimate only 30 to 50 plants remain in the wild. Community Resilience: At COP17, local leaders urged governments to scale up community-led approaches that protect ecosystems while helping people adapt to climate change.

Amazon Drought: In Brazil’s Roraima state, seasonal waterfalls dried up early, cutting tourism income for communities that depend on rivers and ecotourism. Biodiversity Decisions: Indigenous leaders at COP17 say nature protections will fall short unless Indigenous peoples help shape, carry out and monitor them—not just advise governments. Wildlife Crime: Colombia seized 4,235 shark fins in a record trafficking case, while researchers uncovered hidden routes in the Amazon wildlife trade. Climate Resilience: The Green Climate Fund approved $44 million for coastal resilience projects in The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Lucia. Amazon Emissions: A Brazilian study found Amazon emissions nearly quadrupled even without drought, adding to concerns over the region’s climate impact. Ocean Health: Chileans are pressing for stronger protections for seas damaged by intensive salmon farming.

Wildlife Crime: Colombia seized 4,235 shark fins in Tumaco, a record haul believed to represent more than 1,000 sharks destined for illegal trade. Forest Finance: The Netherlands pledged $500 million over 10 years to Brazil’s Tropical Forest Forever Facility, which aims to reward countries for keeping forests standing. Amazon Politics: Lula’s reelection raises hopes for stronger forest protection, but a right-leaning Congress and continued pressure for extraction could limit progress. Climate Risks: The OAS warns a powerful El Niño could bring severe drought to the Caribbean in 2027; a new $44 million Green Climate Fund project will bolster coastal resilience in five countries. Land and Trade: Argentina has abandoned its native-forest recovery goal, while Brazil’s soymeal exporters fear EU anti-deforestation rules could shut out shipments and shift business to Argentina. Ocean Protection: In southern Chile, residents are pushing to protect waters damaged by intensive salmon farming.

Forest Recovery: Argentina’s pledge to restore 200,000 hectares of native forest by 2030 appears out of reach, with clearing continuing and weak monitoring undermining the effort. Marine Protection: In southern Chile’s Guaitecas Archipelago, local fishers are helping shellfish return to waters they say were damaged by intensive salmon farming; at least 313 farms are authorized in the area. Biodiversity Finance: COP17 talks in Armenia are stalled over who should fund conservation, while Indigenous leaders press for a stronger role in decisions. Amazon: Lula’s election offers fresh hope for forest protection, but Brazil remains sharply divided; emissions fell 6% in 2025 as deforestation declined. Climate Risks: Forecasts of a strong El Niño are prompting preparations across protected areas, while Caribbean officials warn of possible drought.

Amazon Watch: Criminal groups operate in 59% of surveyed Amazon municipalities across six countries, with gold now more lucrative than cocaine, a new mapping report says. Brazil’s emissions fell 6% in 2025 as deforestation declined, but Lula’s reelection leaves big questions: environmental hopes face a conservative Congress and continued pressure from extraction. Land Protection: Colombia revoked an order designating part of the Amazon a permanent reserve, while a separate report says wetlands in Brazil’s Amazon have been transformed across an area the size of Belgium over four decades. Climate Risks: El Niño is raising concern over extreme Pacific warming and coastal flooding; recent storms brought more than 200 millimeters of rain to parts of Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil, killing two and displacing thousands. Environmental Crime: Countries have taken a first step toward a global crackdown on environmental crime, as Indigenous leaders push for stronger action against criminal networks.

Amazon Politics: Lula’s reelection gives Brazil a chance to renew its climate leadership, but a right-leaning Congress and pressure for resource extraction could limit progress. Brazil’s emissions fell 6% in 2025 as deforestation declined. Conservation Setback: Colombia revoked an order designating part of the Amazon a permanent reserve, raising fresh concerns about protection of the region’s forests. Extreme Weather: A powerful El Niño is bringing heavy rain and flood risks; more than 2,000 people were evacuated in Argentina, while storms also dumped over 200 mm of rain across parts of Paraguay and southern Brazil. Regional Stakes: Climate impacts are also sharpening across Central America, where drought and hunger are growing concerns, and Mexico is bracing for a strong Pacific hurricane season.

Brazil’s Amazon: Lula’s fourth-term victory renews hopes for forest protection, as emissions fell 6% in 2025 alongside lower deforestation. But a right-leaning Congress and rising extraction pressures pose challenges. Fires shrouded Manaus in smoke, while a study found criminal groups expanding along the BR-319 highway through illegal logging, mining, land grabs and cattle ranching. Climate Extremes: El Niño is raising flood risks: storms in Argentina killed two and displaced more than 2,000 people, while Cuba expects a wetter, stormier winter. Biodiversity and Enforcement: Latin American and Caribbean leaders called for stronger action and financing at the COP17 biodiversity summit. At the UN, countries are also advancing a proposed protocol to combat transnational environmental crime. Caribbean Reefs: The IUCN warns that 96% of the world’s coral reefs could collapse by 2075, underscoring the urgency of regional conservation and resilience efforts.

Brazil’s Amazon: Lula’s fourth-term win preserves continuity on forest protection after deforestation fell to a record low, but his divided political landscape will test whether that progress can last. Suriname’s Forest Front: Saamaka communities are using patrols, GPS and satellite maps to document logging and gold-mining incursions into rainforest they have protected for generations; their territories have lost nearly 154,000 hectares since 2001. El Niño Risks: Argentina is bracing for floods as the climate pattern intensifies, while warnings of drought and food insecurity are mounting across the region. Environmental Crime: Eight Latin American countries are backing a proposed UN protocol to target cross-border environmental crime networks.

Brazil’s Forests: Lula’s fourth-term victory keeps forest policy in focus. Brazil’s 2025 emissions fell as deforestation declined, but a separate study finds the Amazon now emits more carbon than it absorbs. The Supreme Court also suspended a permit for a major Amazon gold mine. Extreme Weather: Floods in Argentina have killed two people and displaced more than 2,000. Tropical Storm Vance weakened off Mexico but still threatened heavy rain, flash floods and mudslides. El Niño: The climate pattern is intensifying rains, floods and extreme heat across South America, while warnings point to worsening hunger risks across the region.

Brazil’s Amazon at the Ballot Box: Voters are choosing between Lula, who pledges to end net deforestation by 2030, and Flávio Bolsonaro, who backs legal forest clearing and questions human-caused climate change. The result could reshape protections for forests and Indigenous communities. Emissions: Brazil’s 2025 greenhouse-gas emissions fell 9% net and 6% gross, with lower deforestation a key factor. Extreme Weather: El Niño-linked floods in Argentina have displaced more than 2,000 people; Hurricane Vance is intensifying off Mexico’s Pacific coast. Clean Energy: A new IDB-backed study says policy uncertainty, weak infrastructure and costly financing—not a lack of renewable potential—are holding back investment across Latin America and the Caribbean. Amazon Mining: Brazil’s Supreme Court suspended a permit for a major Amazon gold mine, a win for Indigenous resistance.

Brazil’s Environmental Stakes: Voters choose between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro in a tight runoff, with sharply different climate agendas and the Amazon’s future at stake. Brazil’s emissions fell 6% in 2025 as deforestation slowed, while the Supreme Court suspended a permit for Belo Sun’s proposed Amazon gold mine. Extreme Weather: El Niño floods in Argentina have killed two and displaced more than 2,000 people. Hurricane Vance is intensifying off Mexico’s Pacific coast, with forecasts warning it could become a major storm. Water and Conservation: Greenpeace reported fecal contamination in Yucatán’s drinking water, linked to expanding pig farming; critics are also seeking to halt road work in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Regional Action: Caribbean countries are pressing for fairer climate finance, while Brazil has created a marine reserve off Rio de Janeiro to protect biodiversity and support artisanal fishing.

Storms and Floods: Hurricane Vance strengthened to Category 2 off Mexico and could reach major-hurricane status. In Argentina, El Niño-related floods forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate. Brazil’s Amazon: As voters head to a tight presidential runoff, the region’s future is at stake. Brazil’s emissions fell 6% in 2025 as deforestation eased, but a new study finds the Amazon now emits more carbon than it absorbs. Mining Under Scrutiny: Brazil’s Supreme Court suspended a permit for a major Amazon gold mine, while a separate gold project’s license was temporarily halted. In Mexico’s Yucatán, Greenpeace found fecal contamination in drinking water amid expanding illegal pig farming. Biodiversity at Risk: Nearly all shallow-water coral reefs are classified as critically endangered, including the Mesoamerican reef. At COP17, Latin American and Caribbean representatives are pressing for stronger biodiversity protections and financing.

Extreme Weather: More than 2,000 people have fled flooding in northeastern Argentina as El Niño drives river levels higher; officials warn flooding could continue for months. Hurricane Vance has strengthened to Category 2 off Mexico and may intensify further as it approaches the Pacific coast. NASA says the developing El Niño could surpass the powerful 1997 and 2015 events. Brazil’s Amazon at the Ballot: Sunday’s presidential runoff could shape environmental enforcement. Officials fear a Flávio Bolsonaro win could revive pressure on regulators, while the Amazon is emitting more carbon than it absorbs, according to a new study. Deforestation has recently fallen to its lowest level since 1988, but that progress may be at stake. Protected Areas: Environmental groups are asking Mexican courts to halt road construction in Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, where work has reportedly cleared mangroves and forest and altered water flows. Caribbean Biodiversity: CARICOM is calling for stronger data and monitoring to track conservation progress and guide funding.

Extreme Weather: Hurricane Vance strengthened off Mexico and could rapidly intensify as it approaches the Pacific coast, while forecasters warn a powerful El Niño is raising risks of floods, drought and food shortages across the region. Amazon at the Ballot Box: Brazil’s runoff could reshape forest policy. The Amazon’s deforestation rate has hit a record low, but a new study finds the region is emitting more carbon than it absorbs, with fires and forest damage among the concerns. Water Under Pressure: Greenpeace reports fecal contamination in Yucatán wells and cenotes; pork producers dispute its conclusions, underscoring calls for a broader investigation into pollution sources. Regional Cooperation: A new Pan-Amazon bioeconomy platform maps public programs across nine countries, aiming to improve coordination, access to finance and support for businesses that rely on standing forests.

Amazon Carbon: Brazil’s Amazon emitted an average 1.17 billion tonnes more CO₂ a year than it absorbed in 2010–24, a study finds, with fires the main driver. Record-low deforestation has not yet made the rainforest a carbon sink. Brazil’s Runoff: Indigenous communities face barriers reaching polling places ahead of Sunday’s vote; a court ordered the federal government to provide transport and other support. The result could reshape Amazon protections. El Niño Alert: The UN warns the strengthening climate event could drive millions more people into acute food insecurity in 2027, as parts of South America face heightened risks of floods, heat and drought. Water and Mining: Greenpeace says faecal contamination is polluting drinking water in Mexico’s Yucatán, linked to illegal pig farms. Brazil’s Supreme Court has suspended a licence for the Volta Grande project while Indigenous land claims remain unresolved.