STATE OF THE WORLD's INDIGENOUs PEOpLEs - CINU

EMBARGOED UNTIL 14 January 2010STATE OF THE WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLESNot for distributionDiversity, which also noted the relevance of the Akwe: Kon Guidelines. It alsorecommended that processes be developed to link local-level adaptation tonational planning. 102In many parts of the world, the “environment” is still not a priority when dealingwith difficult development decisions, and cultural factors are almost always absentfrom decision-making processes. In the case of extractive industries in LatinAmerica, for instance, there is insufficient evaluation of their impacts on traditionalknowledge and practices, even if it is argued that such impacts, especially indirectimpacts, are of considerable magnitude. 103for many indigenouspeoples, climate changeis already a reality, andthey are increasinglyrealising that climatechange is clearly notjust an environmentalissue, but one withsevere socioeconomicimplicationsIn 2005, indigenous peoples living in the Russian Federation protested againstthe oil industry, demanding the implementation of an “ethnological impactassessment” in addition to the environmental impact assessment. In 2007, theCommittee of Nationalities Affairs of the Russian State Duma drafted a federallaw “[o]n the protection of the environment, traditional way of life, and traditionalnatural resource use of the small numbered indigenous peoples in the RussianFederation”. Such a law would have made ethnological impact assessments areality and secured traditional lands and natural resource management for theindigenous peoples’ communal enterprises. The Department of NationalitiesAffairs has, however, reacted negatively to the draft law and the general feelingis therefore that it will not be passed by Duma, even though several regionaladministrations have stressed the need for such a law. 104Climate Change – adaptation and mitigationFor many indigenous peoples, climate change is already a reality, and they areincreasingly realising that climate change is clearly not just an environmentalissue, but one with severe socioeconomic implications. The World Bank, amongother things, also sees climate change as having the potential to hamperachievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including those on povertyeradication, child mortality, combating malaria and other diseases, as well asenvironmental sustainability. For indigenous peoples, already vulnerable andmarginalized, climate change therefore represents a major challenge to whichthe only answer so far seems to be adaptation and mitigation.AdaptationIndigenous peoples have survived many kinds of environmental changes and aretherefore often seen as having a special capacity to adapt. As Nuttall observes,however, “adaptive capacity and resilience depend on the strength of culture, ofhuman-environment relations, cohesiveness of community, identity, and of strongsocial relationships… Adaptation may well begin at the local level in individual,household and community decisions, but it also requires strong policy measures102Convention on Biological Diversity (2008b).103Working Group on Article 8(j) (2007g).104IWGIA (2008), 40.114 | CHAPTER III