HOW ARE TRADITIONAL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

(SPECIAL SESSION – THEMATIC PROCESS)

Contextualization

The session discussed the challenges that indigenous peoples, especially, face with climate change, considering their daily life, “day by day”. Indigenous Lands are constantly threatened by intense deforestation for soy cultivation, burning and decision-making without involving indigenous peoples. These practices severely affect the diet and habits of indigenous people living in the vicinity, disrupting their crop cycle. In addition, these populations are under constant pressure and threats from miners, landowners and farmers, generally, to leave or lease their land.

Recommendations

The greater participation of indigenous peoples in the decision-making referred to them is recommended; development of a strategic design to address climate adaptation in the Amazon through social engagement of the benefited communities; development of practical and innovative solutions for access to water and storage and adaptation of community production systems.

Conclusions

It is necessary to invest in public policies that serve, include and protect indigenous peoples. This goes through actions in all powers: executive, legislative and judiciary. The integration between western (academic and technical) and traditional (practical and ancestral) knowledge is key to making these public policies work. Examples in the Amazon and Canada show that judicial decisions that recognize indigenous rights, intense protection of indigenous areas, solutions using local materials and designed with the participation of residents are possible and important in increasing the resilience of indigenous peoples and environments to climate change.