NDCs in Southeast Asia: Are Governments recognizing the rights, roles and contributions of Indigenous Peoples?

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the UN-REDD Programme and the Forest Peoples Programme, on a study to shed light on how the rights, roles and knowledge of indigenous men, women, youth, and persons with disabilities are addressed in national-level climate policies and plans, such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), REDD+ strategies, national adaptation plans, and relevant environmental laws in Asia.

Asia overview report 

The results of the study are documented in 10 country-level reports incorporating a gender perspective, which also identify Indigenous Peoples’ practices that are already contributing to the goals of the Paris Agreement. This Southeast Asia regional report synthesizes the findings and recommendations from the country-level studies.

The Southeast Asia report presents findings and key recommendations from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The country reports and the regional report will serve as baseline documents for the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and its member and partner organizations working on climate change and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. AIPP will annually update the country reports and the regional report to monitor the implementation of the NDCs at national level, and track regional and international climate-action commitments as they relate to the rights of indigenous men, women, youth, and persons with disabilities. The reports will also inform the discussions and plans of the Facilitative Working Group of the UNFCCC Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform

Indonesia

Climate change is a matter very close to Indonesia’s Indigenous Peoples, because they are the ones who will bear the most significant impacts of climate disasters and because they have much potential to contribute to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. As the custodians of many traditional wisdoms and knowledge, they play an important role in the context of climate change. In this report, we present the general overview of the dynamics of Indigenous Peoples in Indonesia related to climate change and land use. Our methods included a review of the literature (including media) combined with direct interviews with Indigenous practitioners in Indonesia.

Malaysia 

This report presents the results of an analysis of how the rights and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples are addressed by the policies, laws and plans related to climate change in Malaysia. The report presents specific recommendations and is a baseline document for the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and its member organizations working on climate change and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Philippines

In this report we examine some of the key commitments of the Philippines government in contributing to the global goal of restricting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C and present some of the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples on the country’s climate-related polices, plans and programs, as they relate to Indigenous Peoples. With the limited time available and restrictions on mobility to gather data from the ground, the study is not exhaustive but brings forwards some points for consideration in developing a more integrated approach and framework for meeting both climate goals and development ambitions. Secondary review of previous studies, policy, climate change plans and programs have informed the study, combined with virtual key informant and group interviews to generate primary data and complement the analysis.