The Unseen Cost of a 'Just Transition': Indigenous Rights at Risk in Nepal's Renewable Energy Projects

Written on 23 May 2025.

BY DURGA MANI RAI FOR INDIGENOUS DEBATES

The concept of just transition is central to the global discourse on climate change, environmental justice, and sustainable development. It promises to ensure that no people, workers, regions, or sectors are left behind in the shift from a high-carbon to a low-carbon economy. For Indigenous Peoples, 'just transition' is not merely about shifting to renewable energy; it is about recognizing their rights, sovereignty, and authority over ancestral lands, waters, and resources. Indigenous Peoples view the Earth as sacred, not as a resource to be exploited. This perspective is completely denied in Nepal’s ambitious hydropower plans.

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A Just Energy Transition? The Impacts of Lithium Extraction on the Andean Salt Flats of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile

Written on 13 May 2025.

BY JOSÉ AYLWIN FOR INDIGENOUS DEBATES

The rapid extraction of lithium from the high Andean salt flats has caused serious harm to Indigenous Peoples’ right to a healthy environment and access to water. It has particularly affected traditional activities such as camelid herding (llamas, guanacos, and vicuñas) and the cultivation of quinoa and maize. Given the central role that lithium now plays globally in the energy transition, and the concentration of its reserves in this region, it is crucial to ask whether the transition is truly just for these peoples and their communities. All the evidence suggests that it is not — and that fundamental changes are urgently needed.

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CHT Commission Condemns Death of Bawm Youth in Prison Custody and Calls for the End of Systematic Persecution of Bawm Community

Written on 19 May 2025.

19 May 2025 Ι The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) is extremely outraged and saddened to learn about the death of a 29 year old Bawm youth, Lal Tleng Kim Bawm in prison custody¹. Lal Tleng was arrested on 7 April 2024 from Bethel Para in Ruma, Bandarban, and was among 126 Bawm individuals, including 30 women and three children (as young as one and two years old)², who have been detained for over a year without due process based on unsubstantiated charges that lack transparency or legal justification.

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Peoples’ Cordillera Day 2025 Solidarity Message from IWGIA

Written on 25 April 2025.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) extends our warmest greetings of solidarity to all the participants of the 41st Peoples’ Cordillera Day celebrations. Unfortunately, this year we will not be able to attend the important celebration and summit in person. However, we are with you in spirit, and are pleased to at least share our solidarity through this message.

Peoples’ Cordillera Day is a strong manifestation of the unity of Indigenous Peoples in the Cordillera region and of your determination to continue the struggle for genuine self-determination manifested in the theme of the event for 2025 “Assert Peoples' Rights, Persist in the Struggle for Self-Determination, Advance the Politics of Change”

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