The western Amazon is one of the world's last high-biodiversity wilderness areas, characterized by extraordinary species richness and large tracts of roadless humid tropical forest. It is also home to an active hydrocarbon (oil and gas) sector, characterized by operations in extremely remote areas that require new access routes. Here, we present the first integrated analysis of the hydrocarbon sector and its associated road-building in the western Amazon.

Indigenous peoples throughout the world have strong connections to the flowing freshwater of rivers. For instance, Maori - the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand - view many rivers as tupuna (ancestors) and invoke the name of a river to assert their identity.