Climate change and indigenous peoples

The climate is changing; there can be no doubt about it. The reasons for these changes are not quite clear, but most of the experts agree that the climate changes we observe are man-made, at least to an important extent. Whatever their causes, we will all be affected by the changes in the climate. Some groups of people, however, will be affected more than others. They are those whose lives are most tightly linked to nature, people that are not sheltered in urban areas, or protected by more or less sophisticated devices that isolate them from the rhythms of seasonal variations or the consequences of natural catastrophes.

The category of “Indigenous peoples” covers human peoples that are quite different regarding lifestyles, the way communities are organised, their languages, or the kinds of environments they live in. But one of the common markers that define indigenous peoples relates to their proximity to nature in a material, concrete sense. About half of the indigenous peoples of the world live in rural areas as hunters, gatherers, fishermen and farmers. Climate changes will in many cases have a powerful impact on their lives, and their ability to adapt to these changes are vital.

Jodi Rave