Indigenous Communities and Climate Change Policy: An Inclusive Approach

Abstract

Climate change is one of the greatest social and economic challenges today. It is a global problem which needs a global solution and for this each country has to play its part in reaching that global solution through local actions. Adverse weather conditions are impacting the society on all fronts, be it food, habitat, livelihood, or income. There is an urgent need to take into consideration input from all segments of society. This paper deals with one such segment: the indigenous communities who have the vast potential to adapt in response to climate change. The paper deals with a general review of the efforts of indigenous communities across Asia with a specialized focus on the capacity of indigenous communities in India in combating climate change. The recognition that many environmental problems are local in nature is a rationale behind including the indigenous communities in addressing this global issue. These communities constitute an insignificant percentage of the global population and their contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions is minimal. A collaboration between these communities and the climate scientists could evolve solutions which go beyond the need to mitigate emissions and development of clean development mechanisms. Presenting a holistic approach of the indigenous communities in coping with climate change, the paper provides an input to the policy makers on including the views of stakeholders from this sector to deal with the local needs and adopt a balanced approach between adaptation and mitigation strategies. It also gives an insight to the general public into more alternatives to climate change solutions.