Indigenous Rights and Climate Justice: Understanding the Vulnerability

Indigenous people are disproportionately at risk from both the impacts of climate change and some climate action policies. For many indigenous communities, their lands, resources, and territories are fundamental to their spiritual and cultural identities. In addition, indigenous people also face systemic discrimination, limiting their participation in climate policy and planning processes.

Tangible Impacts: Ecological Disruption and Cultural Erosion

The interconnected relationship Indigenous peoples have with their natural environment means that disruptions—such as altered rainfall patterns, deforestation, and rising sea levels—directly threaten their food security, economic stability, and cultural heritage.

These climate-driven changes have led to the loss and degradation of traditional lands, endangering practices like farming, hunting, and fishing.

• Lummi Nation in the United States: The Lummi Nation in the Pacific Northwest of the United States has long depended on salmon fishing as a core part of their diet, economy, and cultural identity. However, rising temperatures and reduced river flows have contributed to declining salmon populations, impacting both food security and cultural traditions (Mongabay, 2023).

  
  

Systemic Marginalization: Political and Social Barriers

Social and political marginalization further exacerbates these vulnerabilities. Limited political representation and restricted access to healthcare, education, and social services hinder Indigenous communities' ability to adapt to climate-related threats. Exclusion from local, national, and global decision-making processes leaves Indigenous voices unheard and their knowledge unintegrated into climate policies, reducing the effectiveness of resilience and adaptation strategies.

• Land Rights and Exploitation: Without legal recognition of their land rights, Indigenous people are more vulnerable to land grabs, deforestation, and industrial exploitation, which threaten their autonomy in managing and conserving ecosystems sustainably. For instance, in Brazil, Indigenous groups like the Yanomami face deforestation and land encroachment from mining and agricultural activities, which are exacerbated by limited land rights and political representation, leaving them vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate disruptions (UNHROHC, 2022).

  
  

Geographic Exposure: High-Risk Environmental Zones

Indigenous communities often live in areas highly susceptible to climate impacts, such as coastal, forested, or arid regions. This increases their exposure to extreme weather events like floods, drought, and wildfires, threatening lives, homes, and resources.

• Access to Aid: The remoteness of some areas also poses challenges in accessing timely aid during climate-related disasters.

• Glacier Retreat in the Andes: In the Andes, Indigenous communities in Peru and Bolivia have relied on seasonal glacier melt for agriculture and drinking water. Rapid glacier retreat due to climate warming now makes this source unreliable, posing threats to water security and agricultural stability in these high-altitude regions.