"Forest Defenders Could Pave Way to a Low-Carbon Future", 6 Nov 2017

A …new report published last week…pointed out that stopping deforestation is crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Indigenous peoples and local communities are a critical part of such a strategy, since emissions and deforestation rates tend to be lower in forests managed by indigenous peoples when land rights are protected...[I]ndigenous peoples are defending their communities and forests from logging, oil pipelines, and coal mining...

Having stewarded the environment and lived sustainably for generations, indigenous peoples can guide others toward a low-carbon future. But so far, the wealth of knowledge they have to offer has only been cursorily included in the climate negotiations, and discussions of the rights of indigenous peoples have been sidelined...At this year’s climate conference in Bonn, negotiators will flesh out details for a new platform to better incorporate indigenous and local communities in the international climate process...

But the reality is that indigenous peoples urgently need better rights protections. Their land rights are frequently encroached upon because of a lack of formal land title or otherwise insecure land tenure, which has a disproportionate impact on indigenous women. And many are threatened, harassed, attacked, or even killed for their environmental activism...[I]f delegates at [COP23]...are serious about fighting climate change, they need to improve protections for the guardians of the forests.