Indigenous people may represent just 5 percent of the world’s population, but some 80 percent of Earth’s biodiversity is to be found on the territories in which they reside.
Many environmental experts acknowledge that their profound, often innate knowledge of their surroundings and ecosystems is often underutilized for the global good. Harnessing indigenous expertise, they argue, could play a crucial role in securing a sustainable future for our planet — a timely reminder as a set of sustainable development goals are finalized later this year.
But indigenous people are also among the most disadvantaged, representing 15 percent of the world’s poor. They struggle to defend their land rights because they do not have the necessary resources to preserve their cultural heritage and identity.