Community Conversations on Climate Change

“Although they contribute very little to the underlying causes of climate change, indigenous peoples are helping enhance the resilience of ecosystems they inhabit and are interpreting and reacting to the impacts of climate change in creative ways, drawing on traditional knowledge and other technologies to find solutions which may help society at large to cope with impending changes.”
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Press Release, 16th April 2008

LifeMosaic’s climate change project
LifeMosaic, working closely with partners, will direct and produce a climate literacy film for dissemination to indigenous and local communities in the humid tropics. This film will be strongly based on community testimonies, and in language and imagery accessible to all. It will cover: an explanation of man-made climate change; information about large-scale climate change mitigation projects and how these relate to community livelihoods and rights; community organising and negotiating tools; and positive examples of self-determined adaptation such as traditional forest management, and smallholder agro-forestry systems that store carbon and sustain livelihoods.The project aims to support increased indigenous peoples' participation in climate change decision-making by disseminating relevant information to communities, networks and policy-makers.

Background to the project
Climate change is the fundamental spiritual, environmental, and social crisis of our time. The UN estimates that deforestation is responsible for 20% of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Because many of the worlds remaining tropical rainforests are on indigenous peoples lands, they are at the heart of the climate change story. Deforestation in tropical rainforests is mainly being caused by large economic interests: industrial loggers; plantation companies (such as oil palm and soya); and extractive industries (including oil drilling and coal mining - fossil fuels that are responsible for still more climate damage). Indigenous communities are often seen as obstacles in the scramble for natural resources found on their lands. As a result they become the victims of human rights abuses. Despite all of the challenges they face, indigenous communities continue to protect huge swathes of rainforests.

Indigenous peoples have a lot to offer humanity in the climate change debate, because of their sustainable lifestyles, their traditional knowledge, and their deep connection to the forests and the earth. They will be severely affected by climate change and are already experiencing the impacts of erratic weather such as heavier rainfall and increased flooding during the rainy seasons, and longer dry seasons bringing more drought. 

Yet indigenous communities in the humid tropics often have limited information about the causes of climate change, or how it affects other peoples. And most have little or no say or representation in local, national or international climate change debates. As a result international climate policies, national adapation strategies, and carbon reduction schemes are all being developed without any meaningful participation by some of the people most affected by these decisions.

Having  access to this information empowers communities to take their decisions about future land use in the context of climate change, further strengthening communities resolve to protect the forests and to choose sustainable development alternatives.

Volunteer on this project

Please contact us with your suggestions of other examples which could be added to this resource.
Contact  info@lifemosaic.net

Climate Change Resources

Back to page top