Indigenous governance is increasingly being recognized as a cornerstone of climate resilience, as communities from Canada to Ecuador to Nepal face compounding disasters from storms, fires, and floods. A new global report underscores that Indigenous peoples have the systems and knowledge to respond effectively if governments and funders support their authority and decision-making.
Even as scientists and policymakers cite Indigenous expertise in climate adaptation, the study finds that the governance structures that make that expertise actionable remain underappreciated and underfunded. The report, from the nonprofit Land Is Life, argues that legal recognition, direct financing, and equitable partnerships with Indigenous nations are critical to reducing climate risk at scale.
“We show that it’s not that they are only the most impacted, but they are already implementing effective solutions,” said Luisa Castañeda Quintana, executive director of Land Is Life. “When it comes to adaptation, we don’t really need to create new structures or systems. We just need to see what is working.”
The study adds to extensive research showing that self-determination, land stewardship, and cultural practices are proven climate solutions. It highlights examples from around the world. In Kenya, Endorois and Tugen women have revived drought-tolerant sorghum and millet varieties that sustained harvests during severe dry spells. In Brazil, the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon trains and mobilizes fire management and response teams across the region.
Drawing on detailed case studies and more than 200 survey responses from 46 countries spanning forests, mountains, drylands, freshwater systems, grasslands, and coastal areas, the report shows how crises cross borders and ecosystems. More than 80 percent of respondents said they face two or more crises at the same time, and over 90 percent reported that extreme events are becoming more frequent.
One example comes from the Kichwa People of Sarayaku in Ecuador’s Amazon. After destructive flooding along the Bobonaza River in 2019, the community of about 1,600, spread across more than 500 square miles, relied on its established governance system to organize an effective response. President Daniel Santi said that strong internal decision-making allowed the community to prepare for and address urgent needs quickly. “This organization makes it possible to confront any problem and any threat,” he said.
The report emphasizes that the combination of Indigenous governance and place-based knowledge makes adaptation measures swift and effective. In Sarayaku, elders identified rain and lightning patterns at the river’s headwaters that signaled flooding, helping the community mobilize in advance. Their structure includes clear decision protocols, support for displaced families, and designated representatives to communicate with outside authorities, all guided by minga, a Kichwa principle of solidarity and collective responsibility.
However, many countries do not legally recognize Indigenous governments, do not provide emergency alerts in Indigenous languages, and continue to criminalize cultural practices. These barriers undercut the effectiveness of Indigenous governance and knowledge in times of crisis.
Santi called for stronger legal protections for Indigenous land and authority, along with resources and partnerships that respect Indigenous leadership. In Peru’s Ausangate Regional Conservation Area, Quechua communities partnered with a conservation group to track environmental indicators, bolster community monitoring, and blend Indigenous knowledge with Western research. The report cites this as a model for building resilience through true collaboration.
It also flags shortcomings in current climate strategies, including short-term projects, rejection of Indigenous self-governance in favor of external control, and the use or celebration of Indigenous knowledge without supporting the communities that provide it.
Despite evidence that Indigenous land stewardship is effective and that direct financing improves adaptation outcomes, funding and legal security remain inadequate. “It’s always the lack of resources and the lack of access to funding that makes it so difficult for us to work, especially when climate change makes us the most vulnerable,” said Anisha Buda of the Kaike Magar community, a program officer at the National Indigenous Women Forum in Nepal.
Rather than prescribe a single model, the report urges governments, philanthropies, and policymakers to create enabling conditions for Indigenous communities to lead, starting with flexible, direct funding. Timed to New York Climate Week, Land Is Life’s release calls attention to the gap between global climate finance pledges and the limited share that reaches Indigenous peoples. Leaders say that even when funds are designated for them, money often fails to flow directly to communities.
“It’s also so frustrating, right?” Buda said. “Because there are so many projects that are supposed to be for Indigenous peoples, but they are implemented by non-Indigenous organizations and non-Indigenous peoples.”
With some wealthy countries scaling back climate commitments and international conflicts straining budgets, Indigenous leaders worry they will fall further behind. “We are in a moment where resources are scarce,” said Gisela Hurtado, the report’s author. “Where can we put the little money that we have? Where can we put it to make it much more effective? And for me, for the report, the idea is put it into what already is working.”
As climate impacts intensify, the report concludes that Indigenous responses point the way forward. “What they are seeing in the territories, we’re going to see it also in the future,” Hurtado said. “They are the ones that are much more connected with the Earth to know what is going to happen in the future.”
Indigenous governance and global climate risk
The findings reinforce a message relevant to Hawaiʻi and other island regions that face overlapping climate threats. Backing Indigenous governance with legal recognition, direct funding, and durable partnerships can accelerate adaptation where it is needed most, including strengthening household readiness such as emergency food supplies.
For more on global climate policy discussions, see the official United Nations climate change resources.
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