Amazon Basin people address world through COP27

CAIRO - 6 November 2022: The indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin addressed the world through the COP27 climate conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh from November 6-18, stressing the need for a radical solution to protect 80 percent of the region by 2025.

The indigenous people of the Amazon have warned that if the destruction of the world's largest tropical forest continues, the Amazon will turn into a mere "savanna."

In a report presented to the Climate Change Conference, Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) José Gregorio Díaz Mirabal called for protecting 80 percent of the Amazon by 2025, warning that the Amazon could reach a point of no return.

He added that the destruction of this valuable ecosystem "will release enough carbon dioxide to disrupt the planet's climate and undermine international efforts to contain global warming."

The Colombian newspaper, Eraldo, indicated that there are great fears among the indigenous people in the Amazon region that their lands might be converted to savanna grasses, which will result in the release of big amounts of carbon dioxide.

According to the newspaper, the Amazon region suffers greatly due to the high rates of deforestation and forest degradation, which amount to 26 percent of the Amazon region.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said that he is looking forward to the inauguration of COP27 activities in Sharm El Sheikh City.

In a tweet, Sunday, Sisi added that “the current session of the Climate Summit comes at a very sensitive time, in which our world is exposed to existential threats and unprecedented challenges, affecting the very survival of our planet and our ability to live on it.”

The opening session of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) kicked off on Sunday as Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will be handed over the presidency of  Mr. Alok Sharma, President of COP 26/CMP 16/CMA 3.