Less than 1% mitigation & adaptation funding went to world’s indigenous groups despite more commitment: Report

Subject : Environment

Section: International conventions

In the news:

A new report summarizing the first phase of implementation of the Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI), endorsed in January 2022, highlights that while there is mounting evidence on the potential of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in improving conservation, in total, donors have directed less than 1 per cent of climate change mitigation and adaptation funding to IPs and LCs.

Report findings:

The report, which was launched on August 9, 2023 on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, said that if the world seeks to realize the rights and priorities of IPs and LCs, significant scaling is needed.
While Indigenous Peoples own or manage an estimated 25 per cent of the world’s land surface, including 40 percent of terrestrial protected areas and 37 per cent of ecologically intact landscapes, recent assessments estimate that only 7 per cent of $1.7 billion in pledged funding is going directly to Indigenous groups.

Demand for representation:

Indigenous Peoples’ groups from around the world, including India, called for representation on the Transitional Committee (TC) for the establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund (LDF).
The committee is composed of 24 members, 10 of whom are from developed countries and 14 from developing countries.

Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI):

The ICI supports IP and LC-designed and -led activities that protect biodiversity and result in other global environmental benefits.
Supervision and technical guidance are provided by Conservation International (CI) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), serving as joint GEF Implementing Agencies.
Both organizations bring their decades of collective experience working with IPs and LCs, as well as their regional and global expertise, to the implementation of the GEF Inclusive Conservation Initiative.
A concept for the Inclusive Conservation Initiative was approved by the GEF Council in December 2019 and the project proposal was endorsed by the GEF in January 2022.
Objective:
- The goal is to enhance Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ (IPs and LCs) efforts to steward land, waters and natural resources to deliver global environmental benefits.