Minority rights and climate change are inextricably linked to one another, and we cannot win the fight against climate change without recognizing the benefits that indigenous populations around the world bring to the table.
As the world confronts the urgent challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, it is becoming increasingly clear that protecting the rights of minorities is not only a moral obligation but also an essential strategy for bolstering climate change resilience. This intersection of human rights and environmental protection is gaining recognition among researchers and activists, who stress its significance in creating sustainable climate solutions.
This article argues that advancing the rights of minorities and indigenous communities and ensuring all voices of society are heard directly contributes to environmental resilience, a concept used in the field of climate change, which is defined as the ability to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from the effects of climate change.
Minorities and the Environment
Minorities, particularly indigenous communities, have been considered in different contexts over the course of history as the guardians of their environments, managing natural resources with a deep understanding of ecological balance. Their knowledge is important to climate resilience efforts, as it may enable sustainable practices that are adaptive to environmental shifts. While these communities are often more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as extreme weather and ecosystem disruptions, they also hold knowledge that can help combat environmental degradation. Recognizing the rights of these communities enables them to take measures that can safeguard their cultural heritage and the ecosystems they depend on, which may enhance climate resilience.
International frameworks like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) acknowledge the connection between human rights and environmental protection. In 2007, the UN General Assembly recognized in the UNDRIP, for instance, indigenous peoples’ rights to land, territories, and resources, ensuring they can continue their vital role in environmental stewardship. This recognition strengthens climate resilience efforts by facilitating the general awareness that communities have knowledge relevant to managing and conserving natural resources.
A 2024 report by the World Resources Institute emphasized the importance of protecting indigenous land rights in combating deforestation. It found that forests on land managed by indigenous communities have lower rates of deforestation compared to other areas, demonstrating that when indigenous communities are in control of their lands, they are more likely to engage in long-term conservation. These practices, in turn, can help protect ecosystems that are essential for climate resilience.
Indigenous Communities and Resilience
In the context of climate change, resilience refers to “the ability of a […] system to anticipate, reduce, accommodate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous event or trend in a timely and efficient manner.” This resilience could include preserving natural carbon sinks and anticipating, reducing, or accommodating climate change-induced hazards. Land where indigenous peoples reside often contains vast ecosystems, including carbon-rich forests, wetlands, and other critical ecosystems, which are crucial to climate change mitigation. These areas serve as the primary defense against the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. Indigenous communities also have valuable knowledge of land management practices, such as fire control, soil preservation, and sustainable resource use, that enhances both the resilience of ecosystems and climate adaptation.
For example, in the Amazon, indigenous communities play a critical role in resisting deforestation and illegal logging, both of which significantly contribute to carbon emissions. A 2023 study indicated that areas managed by indigenous communities within the Amazon rainforest exhibit high levels of biodiversity. This finding highlights the critical importance of preserving these territories for the stabilization of the global climate. Advancing and safeguarding the rights of these communities enables indigenous peoples to serve as vital guardians of the land and promotes broader climate resilience.
Additionally, indigenous rights intersect with sustainable agricultural practices. In regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, communities are often leaders in developing farming techniques that prioritize biodiversity and soil health, offering valuable models for climate-resilient agriculture. Research by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) shows that these traditional practices contribute to local and global food security by building resilience to climate impacts. Also, in New Zealand, the Māori people fought for the legal recognition of their land rights, culminating in the 2017 decision that the Whanganui River is a legal person. This landmark ruling recognizes the inherent rights of the river and highlights the importance of indigenous stewardship in maintaining the health of natural resources. By integrating indigenous values into policy, this decision is a good example of how advancing minority rights can enhance both environmental and social resilience.
The Path Forward: Indigenous People and Climate Change
With the acceleration of climate change and the intensification of environmental crises, ensuring all voices are heard includes safeguarding the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. This is not only a matter of justice; it is a critical component in enhancing resilience to climate change. However, laws alone are not enough: legislation may fall short when it is inadequate to meet a community’s needs or fails to be implemented.
Therefore, ensuring that indigenous peoples and minority communities are informed and aware of their rights, including environmental rights, is also important. The Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and National Minorities, published by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe High Commissioner on National Minorities (OSCE HCNM), provides a policy-oriented approach to helping national minorities get access to justice.
In turn, acknowledging the environmental successes of minority communities and young people can serve as an inspiration to others. For example, Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth) from Norway won the 2024 Max van der Stoel Award for its efforts, since the 1960s, to give the youth, regardless of their background, a voice in environmental policy and an advocate for Sámi interests.
By supporting indigenous and minority communities in their use of their traditional knowledge towards the goal of protecting the environment, the global community can tap into a wealth of traditional ecological knowledge that is supportive of safeguarding ecosystems and combating climate change. Strengthening these communities’ rights ensures a more equitable and resilient future, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between human rights and environmental protection in addressing the world’s most urgent challenges.
About the Author: Sacha Minderhout
Sacha Minderhout works at the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities,where she supports the thematic policy work of the High Commissioner on issues related to the rights of national minorities, international security, democratization, and human rights. She holds an MA in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA in International Relations from the University of Leiden.
The opinions and views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent the official policy or position of any agency, organization, employer, or company with which the author is affiliated.
Image: Shutterstock/V. Belov
