Strengthening Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ Knowledge and Access Opens up Opportunities for Climate, Biodiversity and Desertification Action
Guest blog by Michael Stanley Jones published on the UN University Institute for Water Environment and Health here. Championing a more inclusive and participatory process to strengthen the Rio Conventions The central role Indigenous Peoples and local communities in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification has gained widespread recognition over the past decade. Indigenous Peoples’ close dependence on resources and ecosystems, exceptional tradition, and ancestral knowledge are invaluable assets for the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources. Globally, Indigenous Peoples manage or have tenure rights over at least ~38 million km2 of land across 87 countries or politically distinct areas on all inhabited continents. This represents over 25% of the world’s land surface and intersects with about 40% of all terrestrial protected areas and 37% of remaining natural lands. At least 36% of Intact Forests Landscapes are within Indigenous Peoples’ lands, mak...
