Indigenous Peoples Fighting Climate Change in Brazil: the Gap between the National Adaptation Plan and Autonomous Strategies

Written on 19 December 2024. Posted in News

MARTHA FELLOWS Y SINEIA DO VALE PARA DEBATES INDÍGENAS

Brazil is experiencing unprecedented extreme climate events, such as severe droughts and wildfires. Meanwhile, the federal government is reviewing its National Adaptation Plan, which represents an opportunity to include Indigenous perspectives in climate policy and change the future scenario. It took more than 500 years for Indigenous Peoples in Brazil to have their own Ministry. The question is: how many more will be needed to decolonize climate policies?

In its latest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) flagged up that, even though climate change is a global phenomenon, some groups are more affected than others by its impacts. The climate justice debate raises the concern that the groups suffering an uneven burden are often those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis. Although countries from the Global North are historically responsible for the current scenario, Brazil currently ranks in the top ten biggest emitters.

Focusing on a national and regional context, Indigenous communities play an essential role in the efforts to combat the climate crisis. Well-known for their intrinsic relationship with the environment and their territories, Indigenous ancient knowledge systems and science have contributed to keeping the natural cycles and the climate balanced. In the Amazon, Indigenous Lands have low deforestation rates (>2%), making these areas fundamental to halting forest loss and keeping carbon in the soil. The average temperature of the Indigenous territories of the Brazilian Amazon is also two degrees lower, and evapotranspiration can be three times higher than that of pastures and monocultures in the surrounding areas.

Although Indigenous Peoples are crucial to mitigating the climate crisis, they are more exposed to its impacts because of their interdependence on natural resources. With the change in rain pattern, the risk of losing their crops increases, resulting in food insecurity. In previous years, whole communities were isolated due to the severe drought in the Amazon, which limited their access to essential goods and resources. Additionally, structural racism adds another barrier that excludes Indigenous communities from the decision-making processes where climate solutions are defined, such as the drafting of the National Adaptation Plans (NAP).

Indigenous Lands’ deforestation rate is one of the lowest among the Brazilian land categories in the Amazon. Picture: Martha Fellows

Brazilian National Adaptation Plan

In 2016, Brazil launched its first version of the NAPe. At the time, the recently constituted Indigenous Committee on Climate Change (Comitê Indígena de Mudanças Climáticas – CIMC) participated in several meetings to present its input to this new public policy. Nonetheless, the format of the Brazilian NAP allocated Indigenous Peoples to the “Vulnerable Population and Peoples” sector. CIMC, the National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), and other civil society organizations such as the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) contributed to the design of the “Vulnerable Population and Peoples” sub-chapter, following the limitations imposed at the time.

The current political momentum has shown more eagerness to embrace Indigenous Peoples at the same level as other sectors in reviewing the Brazilian NAP. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) is among the 25 ministries redesigning the NAP process. Under the leadership of the minister, Sonia Guajajara, an internationally-renowned Indigenous leader, MPI brought together Indigenous organizations and representatives to shape the Indigenous Peoples sector.

However, even with the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) involved in the process, some Indigenous representatives found it challenging to contribute because the NAP had a rigid schedule and its methodology restricted the participation of many.

Expected to be released by the end of 2024, the new Brazilian NAP has advanced considerably in content and engagement. And yet the Indigenous organizations’ expectations may not be met due to the participation format afforded them. Fewer than 30 Indigenous representatives were able to attend the workshop aimed at aggregating their perspectives on this climate policy. While those who could not be present had a chance to deliver their contribution through an open platform, most communities lack connectivity, restricting their participation in the process.

Workshop promoted by MPI to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the Brazilian National Adaptation Plan. Photo: Ministry of Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples’ autonomous strategies

Long before the Brazilian government or the international bodies had established the need to build national adaptation strategies, Indigenous Peoples were organizing themselves in various ways to fight the impacts of climate change. The Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) is a model of how Indigenous Peoples excel at combining their ancestral knowledge with non-Indigenous science.

Located in the north-east part of the Brazilian Amazon, the ethnic region of Serra da Lua covers three Indigenous territories and has served as a case study for climate change actions. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, three extreme weather events hit these communities hard. First, a severe drought, followed by wildfires, devastated a significant proportion of the native vegetation within the Indigenous villages. Then, in 2011, the most important river of Roraima overflowed, breaking historical records.

Faced with these situations, CIR developed a case study on how Indigenous Peoples perceive climate change and what mechanisms they have to fight it. After three years of intensive work, the publication “Amazad Pana’Adinhan” presents the socio-environmental context of these territories and their calendar according to the natural cycles. The study closes with a chapter dedicated to presenting their plans to fight the consequences of climate change. It maps the most frequent impacts, how and when they will promote specific climate actions, and, finally, shares the responsibilities out among the community and its partners.

Because of its importance, this experience was mentioned in the first Brazilian NAP as an example of how Indigenous Peoples can promote adaptation actions. In 2023, during the 58^th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this study re-emerged as a key model.

Sineia do Vale presents its work during SBSTA 58. Photo: Andreia Fanzeres

Closing remarks

The current Brazilian NAP shows significant advancement compared to its previous version. It includes Indigenous Peoples at the same level as other sectors and invites Indigenous representative organizations to be a part of the process. Its lifespan, foreseen to be active until 2035, also demonstrates the political will to incorporate its goals as a pivotal State policy.

Nevertheless, it still carries old vices on how to build a public policy, which limits full engagement. Climate issues are complex themes that few are acquainted with. In this sense, if there is to be effective public participation from civil society, it is fundamental to create a robust baseline with which to harvest fruitful collaboration. Although the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples legitimately led the process, Indigenous grassroots organizations had little room to contribute directly with their on-the-ground initiatives like the one presented by the Indigenous Council of Roraima.

The current political cycle is proving supportive of a progressive agenda; however, actual changes in public policies are a long journey. It took more than 500 years for Indigenous Peoples in Brazil to have their own Ministry. The question is: how many more will be needed to decolonize climate policies?

Martha Fellows is a researcher at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) with a Master's degree in Latin American studies from the University of Salamanca. She is a specialist in socio-environmental public policies and, since 2014, has been working as an ally of Indigenous Peoples, mainly focused on climate change.

Sineia do Vale is the coordinator of the environment department of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) and she was recently nominated as the Latin America and Caribbean co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), well-known as the Indigenous Caucus.

Cover photo: MPI

Tags: Indigenous Debates