Organizers: International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples (INMIP); Asociacion ANDES (Peru), International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UNDP Small Grants Program

This event will present the strategy and vision of INMIP - a global network of mountain indigenous peoples established in May 2014 to promote exchange of traditional knowledge for adaptation, influence policymaking and protect their biocultural rights. The results of INMIP's recent 'walking workshop' in Tajikistan will be presented, highlighting the impacts of climate change on mountain livelihoods and the need for biocultural heritage-based responses; the Tuggoz Declaration’s recommendations for governments and climate negotiators, and new international networks of Biocultural Territories and Community Seed Banks. The panel will include presentations by: the INMIP International Coordinator (Alejandro Argumedo, Quechua, Peru); a Quechua leader from the Potato Park Peru who is the curator of its Community Seed Bank (Lino Mamani); and the INMIP Coordinator in China representing the Naxi Stone Village in Yunnan which has experienced extreme drought. Strategies for indigenous Mountain CBA will be presented, including the Potato Park (Peru), the Seed Park (China) and their role in in-situ conservation, protecting biocultural rights and respectful partnerships with scientists. UNDP-SGP will present the Global Partnership on Mountain CBA, which is focusing on biocultural heritage and indigenous knowledge as important adaptation tools. There will be at least 30 minutes for questions and discussion.

The event will promote the effective engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities from mountain regions in the UNFCCC process. Mountain indigenous people are suffering drastic livelihood impacts due to climate change but have so far not been actively engaged in climate change policy debates, and are amongst the most marginalised people. The event will present evidence of the impacts of climate change on mountain communities and of the vital importance of indigenous knowledge and biocultural heritage for adaptation. It will present the Tuggoz Declaration which calls on governments and climate negotiators to ensure the full and effective participation of mountain peoples in climate change policy and planning processes at international, national and local levels, and to ensure climate finance reaches mountain communities to support their adaptation efforts. It will present the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples - an initiative to enhance adaptation in mountain communities through knowledge and seed exchange, including its newly established networks of Biocultural Territories and Community Seed Banks. It aims to communicate key messages to influence climate policy makers; to capacitate and engage other indigenous mountain communities; and to support UNDP Small Grant Program's efforts to establish a dedicated fund for indigenous Mountain CBA.

Panelists:

• Lino Mamani, Community Leader, the Potato Park and member of INMIP (Peru)
• Yiching Song, Researcher at Chinese Centre for Agricultural Policy and Coordinator, INMIP (China)
• Delfin Ganapin, Manager of UNDP Small Grants Program and Mountain CBA Partnership

Rapporteur: Krystyna Swiderska, Researcher IIED, and Advisor to INMIP 

Moderator: Alejandro Argumedo, Director, ANDES (Peru) and International Coordinator, INMIP

Location: Indigenous Peoples Pavilion (Auditorium)

Contact: Krystyna Swiderska, krystyna.swiderska@iied.org

Language: English/Spanish