Climate Change & the Environment

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is of utmost importance and should be respected, rather than being overshadowed by the interests of local communities, says Naw Ei Ei Min. The adverse effects of climate change affect Indigenous Peoples more severely than others, and thus, it is imperative to take action rather than engage in negotiations. We cannot afford to wait for more suffering before taking action.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee : Naw Ei Ei Min (Karen)
"LIBRES Y VIVAS " by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international climate summit, which is held annually unless the Parties (the countries involved) decide otherwise. At COPs, world leaders gather to work together on solutions to tackle climate change. There are now 198 Parties (197 countries plus the European Union) to the Convention, constituting near universal membership.
Cultural Survival attended COP28 in Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.

Each year a different country becomes the COP president, in charge of organising and running that year’s meeting. Usually this means that the host city moves each year, too. Any new agreements which are made at COP tend to be named after the host city, e.g. the 2015 Paris Agreement or the 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact. The 28th meeting will be held in Dubai.
Cultural Survival attended COP28 in Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Carol Monture (Mohawk Wolf Clan)

One of the top priorities at COP28 is to finalize the inaugural Global Stocktake (GST), which serves as the primary means of evaluating advancements towards the objectives established in the Paris Agreement. The GST presents nations with a chance to evaluate their current climate initiatives and determine areas where additional action is necessary.
Cultural Survival attended COP28 in Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee Job Morris (San)

Indigenous Peoples  have knowledge and values oriented towards nature and amassed through generations. Indigenous peoples steward over 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity.
In their main decision adopted at the end of COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021, governments recognized “the important role of civil society, including youth and indigenous peoples, in addressing and responding to climate change, and highlighting the urgent need for action”.
Cultural Survival attended COP28 in Dubai, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.

In the three decades since the Rio Summit and the launch of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP) has convened member countries every year to determine ambition and responsibilities, and identify and assess climate measures. The 21st session of the COP (COP21) led to the Paris Agreement, which mobilized global collective action to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, and to act to adapt to the already existing effects of climate change.

The establishment of the Loss and Damage fund at COP27 was a significant accomplishment, but the actualization of these funds remains uncertain based on past experiences. In 2009, developed nations promised to generate $100 billion annually by 2020 to support developing countries in transitioning to renewable energy and preparing for future climate-related hazards. But funds have consistently fallen short.
Cultural Survival attended COP28 in Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)

This radio program introduces you to a group of people who are working to demand and achieve a just energy transition, in which Indigenous Peoples' rights are at the center. We introduce you to the Securing Indigenous Peoples' Rights in the Green Economy Coalition, also known as the SIRGE Coalition.

This series has been produced by The Southern African San Development Organization in Khwedam Language.

Cultural Survival covers Indigenous Issues worldwide. As part of this work, our team joined the international negotiations of the 12th session of the Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) relating traditional knowledge, innovation and practices of Indigenous Peoples under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on November 12-16, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland. We spoke to many Indigenous leaders to communicate their priorities to our wider Indigenous audience.

The Kalinga Mission for Indigenous Children and Youth, led by Donato Bumacas, promotes values of biodiversity conservation, with the goal of poverty reduction. These values are upheld using Indigenous traditional knowledge systems and technologies to conserve and maintain the local forests. Sustainable Indigenous agricultural technology is implemented, with the goal of passing these systems down to future generations, as this knowledge was passed down to them.

PRODUCTION
Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)

Interviewee: Donato Bumacas