Efforts to combat climate change and protect forests are increasingly putting Indigenous communities at risk of displacement according to a new analysis published by The Conversation. Experts argue that while governments and organizations promote conservation and carbon offset projects, Indigenous people are often excluded from decision making processes despite being long-time custodians of these ecosystems.
One of the most prominent examples is the case of the Ogiek people an Indigenous hunter gatherer community living in Kenya’s Mau Forest. The Ogiek have faced repeated eviction attempts for more than a century. Although they secured a landmark legal victory in 2017 when the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights recognized their rights to the land, Kenyan authorities resumed evictions in 2023.
The government justified the move by citing forest conservation and carbon credit initiatives. Carbon credit systems allow companies to offset greenhouse gas emissions by investing in projects that absorb carbon dioxide, such as forest preservation. Critics, however, argue that such projects can come at the expense of local communities that have historically protected these landscapes.
Researchers note that the Ogiek case reflects a broader global trend. As countries, corporations, and conservation groups seek to preserve forests and address climate change, Indigenous populations are often among the first to face displacement. Many communities find themselves excluded from planning processes and have limited legal options to challenge decisions affecting their ancestral lands.
At the center of the debate is the principle of “Free, Prior and Informed Consent” (FPIC), recognized under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted in 2007. The principle requires that Indigenous communities be consulted and give voluntary approval before projects affecting their lands proceed.
However, experts say FPIC remains largely unenforceable in many countries. Governments and companies frequently interpret the principle loosely, conducting consultations after key decisions have already been made or engaging only a limited number of representatives.
Similar concerns emerged in the Arctic, where the Arctic Ice Project sought to slow ice melt by spreading reflective silica microspheres across ice surfaces. Indigenous groups opposed the initiative, arguing they were not properly consulted and that their concerns about environmental impacts were ignored. The project was eventually discontinued due to ecological concerns.
Research increasingly suggests that conservation efforts led by Indigenous communities are often more effective than externally imposed solutions. Indigenous peoples possess extensive knowledge of local ecosystems developed over generations, making them critical partners in environmental protection and climate resilience.
Despite growing recognition of Indigenous rights, legal protections remain uneven worldwide. Some countries, including the Philippines, Colombia, and Peru, have incorporated FPIC into national laws, while many others have not. The United States, for example, has not ratified the International Labour Organization’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, which includes provisions related to Indigenous consultation.
Experts argue that climate and conservation policies will remain vulnerable to conflict unless Indigenous communities are treated as equal decision makers. They stress that meaningful participation must begin at the earliest stages of planning, rather than after major decisions have already been finalized.
As global efforts to tackle climate change accelerate, the challenge will be ensuring that environmental protection does not come at the cost of the rights, livelihoods, and cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples who have long served as guardians of some of the world’s most important ecosystems.