Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change: Vulnerabilities, Adaptation, and Responses to Mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol

Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change: Vulnerabilities, Adaptation, and Responses to Mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol A Collection of Case Studies Copyright © The International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests (IAITPTF), 2007. Copyright to the individual papers is held by the authors themselves. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner and authors, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. ISBN: 978-974-7122-65-7 All inquiries and orders regarding this publication should be addressed to: The International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests International Technical Secretariat P.O. Box 182, Chiang Mai University Post Office Chiang Mai, Thailand 50202 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.international-alliance.org Edited by Michael Abhainn, Kye Mesa Bernard, and Sam Grey. Cover design and page layout by Michael Abhainn and Sam Grey. Printed in Thailand by Chottana Print, Chiang Mai. Text set in Times New Roman (body type) and Verdana (headers and charts). The publisher gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Ford Foundation. Acknowledgements First, this publication would not have been possible without generous support from the Ford Foundation. Of course, the most important contributors to this collection were the case study authors themselves, who deserve our most sincere gratitude. Additionally, the editors would like to extend great appreciation to the staff of the International Technical Secretariat of the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests: Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri, Crescencio Resendiz- Hernandez, Kanyarat Pinyonitchakul, and Suraporn Suriyamonthon. We are also deeply grateful to our committed translators: Rebecca Knight, Madeline Newman Rios, and Sarah Beckerman. Finally, we cannot offer enough gratitude to the kind and giving individuals who served as our peer reviewers for the case studies; so, our many thanks to Miguel Lovera, Ben Tapang, Ricardo Carrere, Jerome Lewis, and, most deeply, Sandy Gauntlett. Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................................. 5 Executive Summary ................................................................................. 7 The Samoa Case Study An Assessment of Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation to Climate Change in Samoa....................................................... 15 by Fiu Mataese Elisara-La’ulu The DRC Case Study The Impacts of the “Carbon Sinks of Ibi-Batéké” Project on the Indigenous Pygmies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo .................... 45 by Sinafasi Makelo Adrien The India Case Study Carbon Sinks, Carbon Trade, the Clean Development Mechanism, and the Indigenous Peoples of the North-East Region of India............................................................................ 75 by Anna Pinto The Ecuador Case Study Sustainable and Effective Practices under Guidelines for Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry ................................................. 111 by Johnson Hugo Cerda Shiguango Key Recommendations and Conclusions...................................... 132 Updates from COP-12 of the UNFCCC........................................... 137 Introduction Since the inception of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, Indigenous Peoples have sought to have a voice in a process that is certain to shape much of the future of the planet and all of its inhabitants. Indigenous Peoples have tried, so far with very limited success, to be an official and recognized part of these proceedings – not only because they are often particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, but also because they are significantly impacted by the decisions made and actions taken under the UNFCCC. Indigenous and Tribal Peoples face some of the gravest effects of climate change because they inhabit many of the world’s most fragile ecosystems (including forests, islands, coastal regions, and wetlands). As the consequences of climate change are being felt to a greater and greater degree across the globe, those who rely on the land and sea for their livelihoods, cultural foundations, and spiritual roots are facing more and more pronounced threats to their very existence. From the Arctic to the Pacific islands, Indigenous groups are experiencing declining crop yields, deteriorating hunting conditions, shifting weather patterns, and disappearing coast lines. The UNFCCC and the 1997-drafted Kyoto Protocol are the institutional outcomes of years of global efforts to combat climate change. Unfortunately, in spite of the important steps being made, Indigenous Peoples may very well suffer more than they will benefit unless they are recognized as rights holders and given the opportunity to fully participate in these international proceedings. Although they have worked together in small forums and caucuses at the Conferences of Parties to the UNFCCC, they have thus far been recognized as little more than the equivalent of a non- governmental organization. In the absence of integrated input from Indigenous, traditional, and Tribal Peoples, a system is being established that will, in many cases, run counter to the health and survival of these groups. In particular, the Clean Development Mechanism, instituted under the Kyoto Protocol, promotes actions and projects (such as the development of carbon sinks) that both threaten Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life and have a debatable impact on climate change itself. The principal cause of the lack of recognition of Indigenous Peoples is the scarcity of research and information documenting the full impact of this multifaceted issue on their communities. While articles and papers have been written on related topics (in particular by the World Rainforest Movement) there has yet to be a cohesive published report outlining the areas of concern 6 Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change and action prioritized by Indigenous Peoples.1 Such a study is necessary in order to raise awareness and demonstrate the need to include Indigenous Peoples in the proceedings of the UNFCCC and related processes. This collection of case studies seeks to move toward those goals by illustrating three different but interconnected features of the issue at hand. Together, the four case studies contained in this volume present a detailed and comprehensive picture of the vital role Indigenous Peoples can – and must – play in the global effort to address climate change 1 Please see www.wrm.org.uy for examples of this literature. Executive Summary Authored by independent consultants and coordinated by the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, the four case studies presented in this volume aim to raise awareness of the experiences of Indigenous Peoples who are facing climate change impacts and working to address this issue at the local and global levels. This report will explore not only the direct effects of climate change and communities’ adaptive responses, but also the impact of the mechanisms put into place in these communities under the Kyoto Protocol. A draft version of this report was presented at the 12th Conference of Parties (COP-12) of the UNFCCC in Nairobi (6-17 November, 2006) with the intention of contributing to well-informed recommendations for both policy and practice. Report Guidelines and Framework This publication takes the form of four independent case studies from diverse regions: Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. When taken as a whole, it provides a coherent analysis of the impact of a global phenomenon on a unique group of peoples. It also presents an account of Indigenous Peoples’ reactions to both the climate change crisis itself and to an international response system that was created almost entirely without their input. The authors of the case studies were provided with the following guidelines: All case studies should have a strong emphasis on sharing the personal and community level experiences based on their own accounts. Consultants should then augment and substantiate this, where possible, with a strong foundation from the available literature. Studies should be well referenced and show how existing research supports the realities described by Indigenous Peoples, to the greatest extent possible. Studies should identify one or a few communities within one country and examine the specific issue as it pertains to them - but in a national context. It should focus on the communities’ experiences while exploring the details and effects of policies and actions of the national/local governments (particularly the national level since these are the Parties to the UNFCCC). For 8 Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change example, if Indigenous Peoples are not rights holders, then the first [case study] should show how this creates specific vulnerabilities or affects their ability to adapt.1 The five authors subsequently drafted reports addressing the following three issues in the context of Indigenous communities: 1) Impacts, Vulnerabilities, and Adaptation 2) The Impact of the Clean Development Mechanism 3) Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry Mr. Fiu Mataese Elisara-La’ulu provides an exploration of the first topic by examining the situation faced by, and coping mechanisms developed amongst, Indigenous

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