Indigenous territories are a crucial bulwark against the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. A new peer-reviewed study shows they also safeguard the health of millions living there.

The study, published Thursday in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, examined the impact Indigenous territories have on human health across the Amazon biome, a region that’s home to 33 million people.

Amazonian municipalities located close to Indigenous lands with intact forest have reduced risk from two categories of health harms, the study found: fire-related illnesses and diseases spread by animals and insects.

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