Indigenous Peoples and traditional forest-related knowledge
Indigenous Peoples manage approximately 28 percent of the world’s land surface, including some of the most ecologically intact forest areas. Many lands now characterized as "natural" or "wild" generally have long been shaped by diverse histories of human habitation, use and protection by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. They are the custodians of much of the remaining forest biodiversity and are critical stakeholders in climate-change mitigation and adaptation.
There exists indisputable evidence that forest governance by Indigenous Peoples and time-tested traditional resource management strategies are locally and globally imperative to addressing deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
Yet, Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge systems throughout the world are confronted with a multitude of threats, including: increasing loss of customary control and management over forest resources, rapidly progressing extinction of indigenous languages, intergenerational erosion of traditional knowledge, and monocultural formal education systems, among others.
Key messages
- Forests are critical for the survival of many Indigenous Peoples as their cultural identities, livelihoods and knowledge systems are integrally linked with their ancestral lands.
- Traditional knowledge and resource management strategies are time-tested and have an important role in sustaining species and ecosystem diversity across the globe.
- Securing customary tenure rights is crucial to reducing deforestation, resilient forest conservation and biodiversity protection.
- Effective governance systems along with strengthened human and institutional capacities are needed to protect and ensure more responsive and productive sustainable management of forest resources by local and indigenous communities.
- Sustainable Development Goals and targets related to conservation of forest and biodiversity (15) but also ending poverty (1), eliminating hunger (2), climate change mitigation (13) and others - can only be achieved with the active involvement of Indigenous Peoples, the recognition and protection of their rights, and their vital contributions to sustainable resource management.
FAO's work with Indigenous Peoples
FAO has been working with Indigenous Peoples for many years to address the unique challenges they face, while assisting governments with the development of appropriate forestry policies that take Indigenous Peoples’ land, resource rights and views into account. FAO’s work with Indigenous Peoples in forestry covers areas such as valuing and promoting indigenous knowledge of forests and food systems; supporting collective tenure rights for indigenous lands; supporting the role of Indigenous Peoples in climate change mitigation; facilitating sustainable forest management and improved livelihoods; and promoting Indigenous Peoples’ rights to manage and conserve wildlife and other forest resources.
Through the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme FAO supports Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife as a key enabling condition for maintaining biodiversity and ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods and food security. The Programme fully respects the rights and cultural identities of those involved and or affected; and follows a rights-based approach, which includes a Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process. Through innovative visual communication materials, the programme engages with rural communities to ensure they understand and are fully involved in the FPIC process.
Videos
Animated story on community rights and wildlife conservation
The story shows how the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme works hand-in-hand with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to improve food security and wildlife conservation.
Involving local communities in PNG's National Forest Inventory
Unlike some countries, the forests of Papua New Guinea belong to the people, not the State. The support of local communities is therefore critical for environmental protection.
Relevant links
- FAO Indigenous Peoples unit
- Forest and Farm Facility (FFF)
- Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)
- Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme
- The Mountain Partnership
Indigenous Peoples poster
01/01/2016
This poster has been produced to raise awareness on key facts about Indigenous Peoples, in particular related to demography, poverty and cultural diversity.
Publications
Forest governance by indigenous and tribal peoples. An opportunity for climate action in Latin America and the Caribbean
21/03/2021
The document summarizes the report that, based on a review of more than 250 studies, demonstrates the importance and urgency of climate action to protect...
Collective tenure rights for REDD+ implementation and sustainable development
26/02/2021
This technical paper emphasizes the opportunity that REDD+ and the global climate agenda represents for countries to engage more actively in securing...
FAO’s work with Indigenous Peoples in forestry
01/01/2019
FAO’s Forestry Department works with indigenous peoples to address the unique challenges they face, while assisting governments to develop appropriate...
Success stories
Supporting Indigenous Peoples to restore the balance between wildlife and food security
According to Asaph, in the past, hunting levels were sustainable. There was a balance between the number of animals hunted for food and natural wildlife reproduction rates. This equilibrium is now under threat, he argues, due to uncontrolled fires, expanding village populations, the construction of new roads and commercial hunting.
Traditional indigenous knowledge meets new technologies
“The forest was given to us. We live from the forests. It gives us food, shelter, materials to build our houses and medicinal plants to cure the members of our community. That is why we must take care of the forest,”...