The new conservation area recognises an exceptional Uige landscape after two decades of rapid clearing. Boundaries, funding, local science and community agreements will determine whether the decree slows loss.
A regional forum in Merida is advancing a roadmap to protect 30 per cent of land and seas by 2030. Governments, IUCN and communities call for finance, equitable governance, Indigenous rights and indicators that can demonstrate results on the ground.
Brazil has accumulated 2,727 rare-earth exploration applications, 42% involving foreign capital. At least a quarter overlap or lie near 283 protected areas and Indigenous territories as the country debates licensing, domestic processing and mineral sovereignty.