Within the increasingly complex climate change debate, the importance of preserving tropical forests is becoming more and more emphasized. The forests’ carbon capture properties, alongside the huge amounts of carbon released into the atmosphere through deforestation make preserving forests a priority to counter global warming. Fundación Pachamama has seen that global warming is becoming a critical factor that will increasingly influence Amazonian forest and indigenous cultural preservation strategies. In an effort to be a part of and learn more about global initiatives related to global warming and indigenous rights, Fundación Pachamama recently attended climate change talks in Bonn, Germany - a precursor to Copenhagen (COP15) in December – and participated in the Accra Caucus to discuss the essential role of indigenous and traditional peoples in REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and climate change negotiations. The Accra Caucus on Forests and Climate Change is an alliance of civil society organizations from tropical forest countries throughout South and Central America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands which aims to have the rights of indigenous and traditional peoples recognized and respected within REDD mechanisms and climate change discussions and negotiations.
Given the international nature of climate change negotiations, the Accra Caucus provides an essential voice for forest-dependent communities who will be affected by the possible REDD schemes being discussed in preparation for the COP15 climate change negotiations. This coalition is working to ensure that any possible REDD mechanism will recognize and respect the integral rights indigenous and traditional peoples have to their lands and their cultures, and to generate an understanding of the real drivers of deforestation such as industrial logging. They are working to show that traditional knowledge is a valuable asset in forest preservation and that indigenous peoples are integral to any monitoring process within REDD schemes, since they are the central and most directly impacted groups.
Fundación Pachamama, in its efforts to support indigenous peoples, and protect the Amazon forests, is actively getting involved with the climate change negotiations with an open attitude to learn deeply about the process and ensure the participation of indigenous peoples and the consideration of their needs. In fact, two key staff members in Ecuador, including Fundacion Pachamama’s Executive Director, are pursuing Master’s degrees in Climate Change, precisely for this reason.
Ecuador has been historically weak in the climate change negotiations, both because it is a non- Annex I country, and because of its size and political influence. However, due to recent studies that prove that Ecuador will be extremely affected by climate change, the country is taking a much more active position in the negotiations. Moreover, Ecuador now boasts an innovative and holistic proposal - the Yasuní-ITT Initiative aimed at leaving oil in the ground in return for international financial support - which could add a new perspective to current Kyoto mitigation mechanisms. Ecuador is also developing a national REDD project to compensate for existing forests called Socio Bosque. This proactive national attitude is promising and Ecuador will actively participate in Copenhagen this December. Pachamama, however, has come to the conclusion that this participation still lacks an indigenous voice. In partnership with its indigenous allies, Fundacion Pachamama aims to facilitate dialogue, create spaces for learning and promote negotiations with the government to assure that indigenous rights will be included in whatever REDD mechanisms are decided upon during the upcoming COP 15.
REDD is still a controversial topic that has as many champions as it does doubters, and it will be up to the indigenous organizations themselves to decide whether to investigate this alternative or not. At this stage it is of primary importance to ensure that any further discussions regarding REDD must include indigenous rights as a priority, since they are the natural custodians of many tropical forests.
