As Cop30 approaches, a new report makes it clear the survival of isolated tribes is under threat as protections are eroded. It’s time our countries fulfilled their obligations to defend Indigenous people
A new report published on Monday by the NGO Survival International reveals 196 uncontacted Indigenous groups across 10 countries in South America, Asia, and the Pacific, according to a five-year study titled Uncontacted peoples: At the edge of survival. Half of these groups – tens of thousands of people – face extinction within a decade due to industrial activity, criminal gangs and missionary incursions, with logging, mining and agribusiness cited as the primary threats.
The report also warns that even indirect contact, such as disease spread by outsiders, could devastate populations, while the climate crisis and illegal activities further endanger their survival.
