Indigenous peoples and climate change in the Amazon : the applicability of a human rights-based approach

Abstract

REDD+ is a UNFCCC mechanism that has raised concerns about the impacts of climate change policy on the rights of Indigenous Peoples who depend on forests for their physical survival and spiritual and cultural traditions. The effectiveness and legitimacy of REDD+ will largely depend on the level of protection that REDD+ policies incorporate at the national and subnational levels to ensure that the rights of local communities are respected. Through the analysis of current REDD+ safeguards, this paper aims to find out whether the incorporation of a human rights based approach (HRBA) could be instrumental for climate equity and the protection of the Indigenous Peoples, who are the most vulnerable to climate change.