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Indigenous leaders from Africa, Americas to report on their sometimes deadly battle to guard tropical forests, vital resource for slowing carbon emissions
Armed with evidence of their ability to protect forests, biodiversity, and to slow climate change, Indigenous Peoples from around the world call on governments to live up to commitments
As national governments proclaim new strategies to combat climate change at the Bonn UNFCCC Climate Negotiations, indigenous people and local communities from tropical forest nations will gather at a side event to highlight the need of an inclusive and fair climate agreement that recognizes and supports their crucial contributions to climate change mitigation so that they can continue to do what they have been proven to do best: protect the globe’s carbon-sequestering forests from destruction.
Granting land rights to indigenous peoples is one of the most successful forest conservation strategies. In many areas, indigenous lands have lower deforestation rates than even national parks and protected areas. Yet globally, indigenous peoples receive little support and are often threatened by outside actors from extractive and agricultural industries, who raid indigenous land for timber and other resources.
From Africa to Southeast Asia to the Americas, indigenous peoples are facing similar challenges. And they have unique solutions that, if given more weight, would benefit not only their communities but also the planet.
As global leaders debate land use, forests, food security and other climate-related issues, it will be critical to include the voices of indigenous peoples who manage, protect and live on the lands and forests in question. The world cannot prevent climate change without their support.
- A unique side event will bring together indigenous and local communities’ representatives from Africa and Central America to highlight the important contributions their peoples have made and continue to make to mitigate climate change using traditional knowledge and low-impact forest management techniques. Interviews can be arranged with leaders from any tropical forest region (Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia) in Bonn or remotely.
- June 09, 2015 at 16:45 – 18:15.
- World Conference Center Bonn, Berlin Hall
- Speakers include the following:
o Victor Lopez Illescas
Guatemalan organization Ut’z Ch’e and representing Mesoamerican Alliance of People and Forests (AMPB)
o Hindou Oumarou
Network of Indigenous People and Local Communities for Forest Ecosystems Management of Democratic Republic of the Congo (REPALEF for its acronym in French)
- For more information, to request interviews or attend press briefings, please contact: