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Indigenous activists from Peru have traveled over 3,000 kilometers by boat from the Andes to Brazil’s coastal city of Belém ahead of the crucial UN Climate Conference (COP30) set to begin this week. Their journey underscores growing concerns about climate change impacts on vulnerable communities.

Pablo Inuma Flores, an indigenous leader from Peru, arrived Sunday evening with fellow representatives to press world leaders for concrete action rather than continued promises. “We want to make sure that they don’t keep promising, that they will start protecting, because we as indigenous people are the ones who suffer from these impacts of climate change,” Flores said.

Flores highlighted specific environmental challenges affecting his community, including oil spills and illegal mining activities along the Amazon River. These issues represent immediate threats to indigenous ways of life in the region, where many communities depend directly on natural resources for their survival.

The Amazon Basin, home to numerous indigenous groups, has experienced increasing environmental pressures in recent years. Deforestation rates, illegal resource extraction, and pollution from various industries have all contributed to the degradation of traditional territories. For communities like Flores’, climate policy decisions made at forums like COP30 have direct implications for their future.

As the conference prepares to commence, the scientific community has also raised urgent concerns. A coalition of researchers from prestigious institutions across multiple continents, including universities and research centers from Japan, South Africa, and Britain, published an open letter to COP30 delegates on Monday warning about rapid changes in the world’s frozen regions.

“The cryosphere is destabilizing at an alarming pace,” the scientists wrote, referring to the planet’s ice-covered areas, including glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost regions. These frozen environments play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate system by reflecting solar radiation and storing significant amounts of carbon and methane.

The scientific coalition emphasized that geopolitical considerations should not impede meaningful climate action at this critical juncture. “Geopolitical tensions or short-term national interests must not overshadow COP30. Climate change is the defining security and stability challenge of our time,” their letter stated.

This year’s COP30 takes on special significance as it marks a key moment for evaluating progress toward global climate goals established under the Paris Agreement. Negotiators are expected to address financing mechanisms for developing nations, emission reduction targets, and adaptation strategies for communities already experiencing climate impacts.

Brazil, as the host nation, faces particular scrutiny due to its stewardship of approximately 60% of the Amazon rainforest, often referred to as the “lungs of the planet” for its carbon sequestration capacity. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to prioritize environmental protection, though critics point to ongoing challenges in enforcing regulations against illegal deforestation and mining.

The presence of indigenous representatives like Flores adds a crucial perspective to the negotiations. Indigenous communities manage or have tenure rights to at least 38% of the world’s remaining intact forest landscapes, according to research from the World Resources Institute. Their traditional knowledge systems and conservation practices are increasingly recognized as valuable components of climate mitigation strategies.

As delegates from nearly 200 countries gather for the two-week conference, the intersection of scientific warnings, indigenous advocacy, and geopolitical realities will shape discussions on how to address what many consider an accelerating climate crisis.

The outcomes from COP30 will be particularly significant for regions like the Amazon Basin, where the consequences of climate policy decisions directly affect both ecological systems and the human communities that depend on them.