There will be three sessions consisting of a brief video presentation, panel presentations and interactive discussions with participants.
1. Our Heritage, our Future: Indigenous peoples’ water management systems
Indigenous peoples have been practicing sustainable water management systems, not only for their daily needs and livelihoods but also for the profound spiritual values of water. However, indigenous peoples are facing serious threats in sustaining these practices including their rights to water and livelihoods due to fracking, extractive activities, among others. indigenous peoples in coastal areas continue their traditional fishing practices and related conservation of corals and marine resources. Indigenous leaders from North America and the Pacific will share their experiences and will highlight the need to protect indigenous peoples’ water management systems in relation to their livelihoods, cultures and other collective right. Other speakers are invited to share their work and reflections on this critical issue, and there will be interactive discussions of ways forward to protect the water rights and sustainable water and resource management systems of indigenous peoples in the context of climate change and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.
2. The role of Pastoralism in achieving SDGs under a Landscape approach
The session will include the analysis and presentations on the role of pastoralism as a viable livelihood system across significant landscapes in Africa, Asia, Russia and parts of northern America and Europe in the advancement and implementation of the SDGs with local contexts and perspectives will be shared and discussed. The event will also highlight national and regional policy actions that need to be reinforced within the GLF framework to reflect most intimately the significant contribution of pastoralism to the economies of countries as well as the challenges experienced especially related to trans-boundary concerns on mobility that is a copying strategy critical for the survival of the livelihood system. The recognition of the practice at global level arrangements is still low and this event will help raise the profile of pastoralism within the GLF processes.
3. Rights and Livelihoods under threat: Sustainable Agroforestry practices of indigenous peoples for food security and biodiversity
Millions of indigenous peoples South and Southeast Asia, South and Central America continue to persist in practicing the centuries-old system of shifting cultivation or rotational agriculture as a form of sustainable agro-forestry. It is linked to their distinct cultures, and a major source of food security and the conservation of forest biodiversity. In fact, 80 % of the forest biodiversity are found in indigenous peoples. However, it is considered as a main driver of deforestation and forest degradation. On one hand, Existing policies and regulations thereby continue to criminalize this practice, resulting to arbitrary arrest and detention, payment of penalties, hunger, loss of traditional knowledge among others. On the other hand, the conversion of forest lands to logging and mining concessions, agribusiness and others is taking place on a massive scale and with impunity in violation to the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources, to their livelihoods and cultural heritage. Even in the context of REDD+, the implementation of the readiness phase fails to ensure forest land tenure for indigenous peoples and the protection of their sustainable forest management system in many countries as critical in forest conservation and management for climate changes.
This session will address policy issues in relation to forest conservation, as well as the respect for indigenous peoples’ rights in the context of threats, challenges, opportunities and ways forward. Speakers will be indigenous representatives, advocates, donors and research/academic institutions. There will be an interactive discussion with participants of this session.