Healthy forests are more than climate shields; in the Amazon, they also serve as public-health infrastructure.

A Communications Earth & Environment study spanning two decades across the biome links the extent and legal status of Indigenous Territories to 27 respiratory, cardiovascular, and zoonotic or vector-borne diseases. The findings are complex, but one pattern is clear: Where surrounding forest cover is high and fragmentation is low, Indigenous lands help blunt health risks.

archived (Wayback Machine):

• Mongabay article
• research cited

To clarify, the benefits are due to large contiguous forest cover, which is a result of indigenous territories being legally protected from deforestation by outsiders. Any other protected area with intact forest cover (e.g. a national park or large private reserve) should provide the same benefits.