Blog by Akil Crichlow, Assistant Research Officer and Mxolisi Sibanda, Climate Change Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat; Vanessa Benn, Iwokrama International Centre, and Adam Kuleit Mwarabu, PAICODEO
Over 3.3 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change, with socioeconomic factors like gender, class, race, clanship, and ethnicity exacerbating this, particularly for women, children in low-income households, and Indigenous peoples.
Therefore, it is critical that an all-of-society approach is strengthened so that we mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, recover lost biodiversity and degraded land, and deploy an ecosystem-based adaptation model.
Living Lands
Our Commonwealth Living Lands Charter acknowledges the role of Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples across the Commonwealth, a family of nations, home to one-third of the world’s Indigenous population. So, on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we want to share our progress on protecting our earth in collaboration with our Indigenous families.
Historically, Indigenous groups have been excluded from discussions and climate actions, despite their intimate knowledge and connections to their natural environment. As a result, their concerns, knowledge—often based on ancient understanding and learning—and capacity as agents of system transformation have been either ignored, missed, or under-utilised.
But this is changing with growing calls to integrate Indigenous, local, and traditional knowledge in the global, regional, and national policy discourse.
We are proud that an increasing number of Commonwealth countries are responding to these calls by embracing a holistic approach to the adaptation components of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as per the Paris Agreement. Yet much work still needs to be done.
This recognition is crucial as Indigenous peoples already protect over 20% of the earth and steward over 80% of our remaining biodiversity. Their land, collectively, intersects with 40% of all terrestrial protected areas and ecologically intact spaces. The unique ancestral knowledge of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities is invaluable for understanding how to use our planet’s resources sustainably, while sustaining our livelihoods and well-being.
This understanding, and other such knowledge, lives on in the Iwokrama Forest in Guyana, covering 371,681 ha of tropical rainforest, demonstrating that Indigenous peoples are not just a part of the solution—they are crucial for the future well-being of the planet and humanity. Back in November 1995, the Commonwealth signed an agreement with the government of Guyana to protect this area and its peoples.
The forest is managed by the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (IIC). The centre’s mandate includes safeguarding the rights, intellectual knowledge, and contributions of the Indigenous communities in relation to sustainable forest management through the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) coordinating body.
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Michael Williams, Chair of the NRDDB, shared:
“Our communities have partnered with Iwokrama since its inception in 1989. Our partnership has expanded into business development models, including eco-tourism, inland fisheries management, and sustainable forestry.
The partnership yielded Guyana’s, and perhaps the world’s, first Community Monitoring Reporting and Verification System (CMRV). These projects have enhanced our livelihoods and incorporate lessons from our traditional knowledge and practices.”
Across the Atlantic, to Tanzania in East Africa, pastoralists are another of the Commonwealth’s Indigenous peoples. They include the Barabaig and the Maasai, as well as hunter-gatherers like the Hadzabe, Akiye and Sandawe.
These groups lead diverse livelihoods but share a profound connection to the land. However, they face significant challenges regarding land tenure security. Despite the challenges, hope is not lost.
Organisations like Parakuiyo Pastoralists Indigenous Community Development Organization (PAICODEO) are making strides in empowering these Indigenous pastoralists.
PAICODEO helps these communities recognise and advocate for their rights, promotes sustainable livelihoods, and ensures equitable participation in natural resource governance. Through these efforts, there is a growing movement towards securing a better future for Tanzania’s Indigenous pastoralists.
Across our Commonwealth, these Indigenous communities’ knowledge systems are more than historical relics; they are dynamic blueprints for a sustainable future. As the Commonwealth, we must honour our Indigenous peoples and their knowledge. We will work to preserve their cultures and ways of life, integrate their perspectives into policy decisions, and amplify their voices from local to international fora.
