Indigenous peoples give their perspective on climate change

ISSUE 49: MAY-JULY 2008

The newsletter of United Nations University and its international
network of research and training centres/programmes

Charles Darwin University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Helen Garnett,
speaks at a public forum organised as part of the meeting on
indigenous peoples and climate change in Darwin, Australia.

International experts want UNU Institute of Advanced Studies and other institutions to undertake case studies assessing the impact of climate change and climate change response measures on indigenous peoples and their communities.

This was one of the recommendations emanating from the International Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change held April 2-4 in Darwin, Australia.

The meeting was organised by UNU-IAS in conjunction with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the North Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) to respond to the UNPFII recommendation that UN organizations provide technical assistance and convene workshops to contribute to discussions about indigenous peoples and climate change.

Although indigenous peoples regard themselves as the mercury in the world’s climate change barometer, they are rarely considered in public discourses on climate change. The Darwin meeting was convened to help redress that balance. Because they are vital to and active in the many ecosystems that make up their lands and territories, indigenous peoples can help enhance the resilience of those ecosystems. In addition, they interpret and react to climate change impacts in creative ways, drawing on traditional knowledge and other technologies to find solutions, which may help society at large to cope with impending changes.

Outcomes of the meeting included:

An exchange of information on the effects of climate change, including adaptation measures and carbon trading projects;
Identification of options and plans to address migration and many other issues faced by indigenous peoples due to climate change;
Highlighting good practice models; and
Discussion of factors that enable or obstruct indigenous peoples’ participation in the climate change processes.

Expert papers are available for download and the final report of the meeting was submitted to the UNPFII seventh session, conducted April 21-May 2 with the special theme of “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges”.

As an adjunct to the expert meeting, the International Public Forum on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change: The Tropical Australian Experience was convened by UNU-IAS with Charles Darwin University and the Northern Territory Government on April 3. Speakers at the forum shared case studies on practical experiences, particularly focusing on the impacts of climate change on indigenous peoples and adaptation, health and opportunities for carbon projects. Audio recordings of the key presentations and the expert panel discussion are available for download from the UNU-IAS Traditional Knowledge Initiative web site.

Further information is available from the UNU-IAS Traditional Knowledge Initiative website.

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