Indigenous peoples and climate change – IUCN

Indigenous peoples around the world will bear the brunt of climate change – but they are also armed with traditional knowledge that can be critical to survive its effects. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) released a report on the effects of climate change on indigenous peoples. “Indigenous peoples are literally living on the edge – highly dependent on natural ecosystems, they usually occupy marginal lands, are under pressure socially and many lack proper political representation to improve their situation,” says Gonzalo Oviedo, IUCN Senior Advisor on Social Policy, and co-author of the report. “As a result they are especially vulnerable to climate change." The report identifies traditional strategies to cpèpe with climate varialibity, such as the traditional Quezungal farming methods in Central America which involves planting crops under trees so the roots anchor the soil and reduce the loss of crops when hurricanes strike. The report maps out the areas of the world which will be most vulnerable to climate change in the future and how this will impact on indigenous peoples. It calls on policy makers to take indigenous people’s experiences into account when making climate change policy.

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Contributor: Gonzalo Oviedo
Published Date: March 19, 2008