The thematic sector Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystems (FBE) launches the study "Indigenous Peoples' Contributions to Climate Action in Latin America" through a webinar.

Indigenous peoples are among the populations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change; but at the same time they are the bearers of knowledge that is invaluable in finding solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and ecosystem conservation.

In the EUROCLIMA+ programme, most of the projects in the thematic sector “Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystems” (FBE) work with indigenous peoples and local communities to collect and systematise their knowledge regarding their vulnerability to climate change; but also to identify mitigation and/or adaptation solutions they already implement, or to build them together.

The recently published study “Contributions of Indigenous Peoples to Climate Action in Latin America – Experience from the Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystems sector of the EUROCLIMA+ Programme” provides a synthesis of the current situation of indigenous peoples and climate action in Latin American and Caribbean countries where projects of the FBE thematic sector are implemented. It also analyses the contribution of these projects in working together with indigenous peoples on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems, and the importance of their knowledge in contributing to climate action.

To launch this study and provide a space to promote the recognition of indigenous peoples and local communities as crucial actors in climate action, a webinar was organised on 17 September 2021, in which three speakers shared their extensive experience in working with indigenous peoples and local communities.harge of climate policy, including UNFCCC National Focal Points, and the NDC Partnership and EUROCLIMA+ programmes, as well as relevant stakeholders who have been involved in the NDC review and updating processes. 

Verónica González González, who works for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), provided input on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform  (LCIPP). LCIPP has three functions:

1. Facilitate  the exchange of experiences and practices between communities;
2. Increase the participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the UNFCCC process and enable signatory countries to the convention to engage with the platform;
3. Include knowledge systems, practices, and policy innovations in such a way that the rights and interests of local communities and indigenous peoples are respected and promoted.

After the presentation on the LCIPP, the author of the publication, Iván Égido, presented the experiences of the FBE sector with indigenous peoples' contributions to climate action. During his presentation, he emphasised the great value of peoples' ancestral knowledge for climate change adaptation, and identified the following lessons learned and recommendations.

1. The EUROCLIMA+ programme and the organisations implementing projects in the framework of this programme make a significant contribution to climate action by coordinating and linking various actors.
2. Many project implementing organisations already have a lot of experience in working with indigenous peoples' organisations and governments and are therefore crucial actors in the formation of cooperation systems.
3. The EUROCLIMA+ programme and implementers will continue to promote relevant issues and processes such as multi-stakeholder consultation and participation, the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process in the planning and implementation of sustainable climate action or the use of the Action Based on Indigenous Knowledge (ABCI) approach.

Finally, Luis Arteaga, coordinator of the project “Non-Timber Resources in the Amazon Forest”, implemented by ACEAA in the FBE sector, concluded the webinar by sharing an experience on the application of vulnerability assessment and definition of local climate actions together with indigenous communities in the Tacana II Community Land of Origin (TCO) in Bolivia. He commented that through the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (ACVC), local perceptions of livelihood vulnerability, as well as adaptive capacities and coping measures, were captured. This work is of great relevance for TCO planning, while contributing to the priority aspects of the NDCs and SDGs. More information on this approach can be found here.

Access and download the publication "Contributions of indigenous peoples to climate action in Latin America: Experiences from the Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystems sector" here.

About EUROCLIMA+

EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German Federal Government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain. Its objective is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries by promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation, resilience, and investment. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the UN Environment Programme. Contact for more information:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.