Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are custodians of vast biodiversity and practitioners of sustainable land and resource use.

For centuries, indigenous peoples have developed practices — such as agroforestry, seed conservation, rotational grazing and sustainable harvesting — that conserve biodiversity, sequester carbon and prevent desertification. These systems are rooted in deep cultural connections to nature and offer practical, scalable solutions for climate adaptation, land restoration and biodiversity conservation.

Unlike many modern projects that pursue single objectives in isolation, Indigenous approaches are inherently synergistic: they work with nature’s interconnected systems. This is precisely the perspective needed to achieve the shared goals of the three Rio Conventions — the CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD — on biodiversity, climate and land.

On the frontlines of change

Many Indigenous territories are at the forefront of environmental crises. Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation disproportionately affect these communities, threatening both livelihoods and cultural heritage. At UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Indigenous Peoples from all seven socio-cultural regions came together for the first time to urge Parties to:

Respect, recognize, promote and protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights
Guarantee self-determination and land governance
Incorporate these rights into all land restoration policies

Synergies in practice

Indigenous knowledge offers adaptive, resilient strategies well-suited to managing uncertainty and environmental change:

Satoyama landscapes, Japan — A mosaic of paddy fields, woodlands and grasslands, managed through community rules to balance human needs with biodiversity. Practices like coppicing regenerate trees from stumps, conserve carbon stocks, prevent land degradation and maintain soil fertility
Chakra agroforestry, Ecuador — A multi-layered system where cocoa grows alongside fruit trees, medicinal plants and native species, creating habitats, attracting pollinators and acting as a carbon sink. Recognized by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, chakras enhance biodiversity, conserve water and strengthen community resilience

These and many other examples — from Andean farming systems to Maasai sustainable grazing — show how Indigenous knowledge can inform climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation and land restoration simultaneously.

Entry points for synergy

Integrating Indigenous knowledge into national policy and Rio Convention implementation can amplify co-benefits:

Policy integration — Involve Indigenous communities in developing national strategies, action plans and nature-based solutions, ensuring culturally relevant and effective outcomes
Knowledge preservation and exchange — Document traditional practices, share lessons between communities, and connect with global climate and biodiversity initiatives
Research and adaptation — Study how techniques can be transferred or adapted to other ecosystems, recognizing that effectiveness depends on local conditions
Participatory monitoring — Combine Indigenous indicators, such as species presence or seasonal patterns, with scientific data to track ecosystem health

Recommendations for policymakers

Embed Indigenous stewardship in project design, implementation and monitoring.
Grant tenure rights to secure sustainable land management rooted in cultural norms.
Protect cultural institutions and traditions that underpin ecological stewardship.
Provide capacity-building and resources to support Indigenous participation in policy and project development.

Supporting Indigenous Peoples is not only a matter of equity — it is essential for effective, synergistic solutions to the world’s environmental crises. Their time-tested practices embody the integration of climate, biodiversity and land management that the Rio Conventions seek to achieve.