Around the world, indigenous and rural communities are among those least responsible for climate change, yet they are often the first to suffer from its impacts. Communities in rural areas are severely impacted by sudden and slow-onset effects of climate change, such as land and soil degradation and more frequent and intense floods. Effective solutions to confronting climate injustice, therefore, necessarily require engagement and partnership with Indigenous and rural populations, who are critical change agents in this global fight.

Indigenous peoples have a vast depth of ecological knowledge, which they have honed and passed down over generations, making them invaluable leaders in constructing climate mitigation and adaptation strategies and solutions. Furthermore, many Indigenous and rural communities reside on carbon-rich lands and forests that are vital for the health of our planet. Indigenous practices often serve a protective role over those lands.

As we recently marked World Desertification and Drought Day, it is important to note that land restoration is more critical than ever as the world endures and recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restoring degraded land not only revitalizes stressed ecosystems—it increases incomes, job creation, economic resilience, and food security. With Indigenous and local communities holding and managing between 50 and 65 percent of the world’s land, we cannot realize the benefits of land restoration without them.

Although Indigenous and rural communities are vital to the fight against climate change, in many countries these populations struggle to obtain formal rights over their land. This reality traps generations in a cycle of displacement, conflict, and poverty. Securing land rights for rightful landholders addresses poverty and climate change together.

Read the full article about the necessity for land rights justice by Rachel McMonagle at Skoll.