Scientific studies increasingly show that the lands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP and LC) are positive for biodiversity and climate. But most research focuses only on ecological outcomes, such as carbon sequestered or species counted, overlooking the cultural traditions that sustains them.
This report focuses on the Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems and land stewardship practices behind these results. Drawing on perspectives from 49 Indigenous and community experts across 43 communities on six continents, it illuminates the worldviews and practices that make these lands biodiversity- and climate-positive.
Our research has been published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, alongside an accessible companion report available in English, Spanish and French. Conservation will only succeed if we support IP and LC in defending their lands and revitalizing the knowledge systems tied to them. We hope this research helps center Indigenous voices and traditional knowledge in climate and conservation research, finance and policy.