Building Climate Resilience from Indigenous Perspectives

This project aims to improve the climate resilience of Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia Colombia Guatemala and Peru by affirming Indigenous rights and enabling self-determination. Project activities include: (1) providing sub-grants (65% of funding) to projects co-implemented by Indigenous Peoples in Canada and in developing countries. that focus on gender-responsive nature-based solutions projects for climate adaptation; (2) establishing an Indigenous Steering Group and Indigenous Wisdom and Knowledge Circle to guide project selection and support; (3) organizing capacity-bridging sessions and knowledge exchange spaces including a regional forum conducted on Indigenous land-based stewardship traditional laws and legal approaches; and (4) creating mechanisms for Indigenous participation in decision-making processes and bodies policy reforms climate action and nature-based solutions initiatives. The local partner is the National Organization of Indigenous Andean and Amazonian Women of Peru (ONAMIAP) which is a coordinator and member of the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA-SUR). In addition input from several National Indigenous Organizations will be included such as the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia – ONIC) the National Confederation of Indigenous Women of Bolivia (Confederación Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas de Bolivia – CNAMIB) the Coordinator of Women's Community Organizations (Coordinadora de Organizaciones Comunitarias de Mujeres – COMAM-GUATEMALA) the National Coordinating Committee of Widows of Guatemala (Coordinadora Nacional de Viudas de Guatemala – CONAVIGUA) and the Grand Council of Ancestral Authorities of the Ch'orti People (Gran Consejo de Autoridades Ancestrales del Pueblo Chortí).

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased adoption of self-determined gender-responsive and inclusive nature-based solutions by Indigenous communities and organizations particularly women and youth for climate change adaptation with biodiversity co-benefits; (2) strengthened climate governance within diverse Indigenous communities organizations local and regional networks for Indigenous-rights-affirming nature-positive climate adaptation; and (3) increased joint action and knowledge-sharing between North and South sub-grantees and their communities particularly women and youth to promote gender-responsive Indigenous-rights-affirming nature-based solutions.