Sergio Lira

Brazilian environmentalist leading Amazon conservation through community-based initiatives

Sergio Lira is a Brazilian environmental scientist and founder of SOS Amazonia, an organization protecting the Amazon rainforest through indigenous collaboration. Born in 1978 in Belém, Pará, Lira's childhood in the Amazon basin exposed him to deforestation's impacts. After studying ecology at the University of São Paulo, he worked with indigenous tribes to document illegal logging activities, leading to his 2001 arrest by loggers for "environmental activism".

In 2003, Lira launched SOS Amazonia with a unique model: training local communities to use drones and satellite mapping for real-time forest monitoring. By 2010, the initiative had identified over 1,200 illegal logging sites, resulting in 300+ arrests. His Amazon Guardian Network, established in 2012, now involves 250+ indigenous groups across 8 states, using blockchain technology to verify sustainable resource use.

Lira's work was pivotal in Brazil's 2015 Forest Code reforms, which strengthened protected areas. His TEDx talk The Amazon Needs Its People has been viewed over 2 million times. Despite government pressure, SOS Amazonia's efforts reduced deforestation in its project areas by 65% between 2010-2020.

Lira's contributions are documented in Greenpeace's Amazon Reports and his 2018 book Guardians of the Canopy. He was nominated for the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2020 but declined to avoid political backlash. His work continues to inspire community-led conservation models in Colombia and Peru.