Adriana dos Santos

Brazilian environmentalist leading indigenous rights and rainforest conservation through community media

Adriana dos Santos (b.1975) is an Amazonian activist and founder of Instituto Socioambiental, a nonprofit that empowers indigenous communities through media and technology. Her work focuses on protecting the Amazon rainforest while preserving cultural heritage. Dos Santos pioneered the use of satellite mapping and community radio networks to document illegal logging activities, which led to the creation of protected areas covering 1.2 million hectares.

She developed the Amazon Alert System in 2003, a real-time monitoring platform used by over 300 indigenous groups. Dos Santos also created the first indigenous-led social media campaign #AmazonIsBurning in 2019, generating global awareness during critical deforestation periods. Her approach combines traditional knowledge with modern technology to achieve environmental justice.

Recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize (2021), dos Santos' initiatives have inspired similar programs in Peru and Colombia. Her memoir 《Voices of the Forest》 details her collaborations with over 150 Amazonian tribes. She currently advises the UN's REDD+ program on indigenous participation strategies.