Indigenous women hold critical roles in their communities around relationships with water. Despite this, their roles have not been acknowledged, are undervalued, or dismissed by local and international partners on water. Indigenous knowledge, coupled with values-based management approaches led by Indigenous Peoples, offers substantial opportunities for deepening the understanding of the hydrological cycles and address climate change challenges. Indigenous territories cover an estimated 25% of global terrestrial land that are key drivers of the hydrological cycles, whether as sources of blue water or green water, and their approaches to governance positively benefit communities outside their territories but unrecognised by beneficiary communities. The session will showcase the impact of including Indigenous women in water governance with speakers from networks from global north and global south. It will offer key lessons for engagement and inclusion into decision-making.
November 14, 11:00 - 12:30
While there is increased acknowledgement Indigenous or traditional knowledge for guiding specific activities, and realization of the importance of including Indigenous Peoples in decision-making, there remains limited consideration of how explicit investments in Indigenous womens leadership can be a crirical climate intervention across multiple themes. With greater financial and environmental uncertainty, investments that deliver a suite of benefits should be prioritised. For example, water security investments helps ensure the health and wellbeing of communities that monitor, maintain, and enhance natural systems, which in turn benefit thousands of other communities for whom global ecosystem health is necessary.
