Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous forest observers drive action against illegal mining in the Peruvian Amazon
New results from the Madre de Dios region in southeastern Peru’s Amazon Basin show how Indigenous-led monitoring is protecting forests, influencing policy and confronting rising threats. RFUK’s Peru Coordinator, Daniela Velit, recently visited Puerto Maldonado, the capital city of the Madre de Dios region, and saw first-hand how RFUK’s project alongside Indigenous rights organisation FENAMAD is … Read more
RFUK shares findings of gender study highlighting opportunities and barriers for women in forest governance in the Republic of Congo
RFUK is sharing findings from a new gender study examining women’s participation in forest governance and community-based monitoring in the Republic of Congo. The study was conducted as part of the FISONG project, “Legal capacities and participation of environmental defenders in the Republic of Congo“, a programme implemented since 2022 by a consortium led by … Read more
Haki Ardhi: transforming how women in Kenya claim their land rights
Kakamega County, Kenya – A pioneering initiative is transforming how women in Kenya report and seek justice for their rights and access to land. Haki Ardhi, a monitoring and reporting tool co-developed by Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, Shibuye Community Health Workers (SCHW) and the Kenya Land Alliance (KLA), and funded … Read more
Peru’s Supreme Court sets landmark precedent against intimidation lawsuits targeting Indigenous defenders
In a landmark ruling, Peru’s Supreme Court has overturned a defamation judgment against the Indigenous rights organisation FENAMAD, recognising that a powerful timber company misused the justice system to silence public interest advocacy. The decision marks a major step forward in protecting freedom of expression and Indigenous rights, and sets an important precedent against so-called SLAPPs, Strategic … Read more
National meeting lays foundation for shared and inclusive governance of the Green Corridor
Between 7-9 October 2025, Congolese civil society hosted the first nationwide gathering on the Green Corridor Kivu-Kinshasa (CVKK), the world’s largest ‘community’ reserve created in January 2025. The three-day meeting was organised by the Congolese civil society coalition Reseau pour l’Environnement et les Droits Humains (R-EDH), in partnership with the Virunga Foundation and the Institut … Read more
II Congress Ama Ene Strengthens Asháninka Women’s Leadership in the Ene River Basin
Pamakiari, Ene River Basin, Peru – August 2025 The II Congress Ama Ene has brought together more than 150 Asháninka women from 19 communities along the Ene River, marking an important milestone in advancing Indigenous women’s leadership and gender rights in the region. On 14 August, CARE boats travelled upriver, stopping at each community to … Read more
Against the odds: two forest communities in conflict-affected North Kivu approve sustainable management plans
This story is the last of a five-part Forests for the Future impact series on how community forests in the DRC are enabling communities to drive their own development and protect climate critical forests In the heart of the Bapere sector of Lubero Territory, North Kivu, a region often overshadowed by insecurity and conflict, two … Read more
Key Land-Use Planning Law Passed in the DRC
On 1 July 2025, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed into law the country’s first-ever land-use planning legislation, Law No. 25/045, marking a major milestone in the pursuit of fair and effective governance of natural resources in one of the world’s most forest-rich nations. The law’s adoption follows a multi-stakeholder process … Read more
New analysis shows extent of threat posed by new DRC oil block licensing round
Kinshasa, DRC / London, UK A new report, released today by Earth Insight in collaboration with Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) and Congolese partners Our Land Without Oil (Notre Terre Sans Pétrole) and CORAP, reveals the potential social and environmental impacts of planned oil development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The government cancelled a … Read more
FORESTS TO FRONTLINES: OIL EXPANSION THREATS IN THE DRC
This new report by Earth Insight in collaboration with Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) and Congolese partners Our Land Without Oil (Notre Terre Sans Pétrole) and CORAP, reveals the alarming extent of planned oil development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).