Call for contributions on Indigenous and local knowledge

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Dear IPBES members, observers and other interested stakeholders, and in particular Indigenous Peoples and local communities,

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is launching a “call for contributions on Indigenous and local knowledge”, to invite Indigenous Peoples and local communities from all over the world to support the three ongoing IPBES assessments:

• Thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health (nexus assessment) (2021-2024, https://www.ipbes.net/nexus).
• Thematic assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of transformative change and options for achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity (transformative change assessment) (2021-2024, https://www.ipbes.net/transformative-change).
• A methodological assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (business and biodiversity assessment) (2023-2025, https://www.ipbes.net/business-impact).

The IPBES Plenary, in decision IPBES-5/1, approved an approach to recognizing and working with Indigenous and local knowledge in IPBES (available here), giving IPBES an ambitious and ground-breaking process for bringing Indigenous and local knowledge to the core of large-scale assessments. The present “call for contributions” is part of the activities undertaken by IPBES to implement this approach. 

Contributions from Indigenous Peoples and local communities will help assessment authors to reflect in the assessments the role of Indigenous and local knowledge, practices, values and actions in biodiversity conservation, as well as current challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and ways forward. Through the assessments, this information can be brought to the attention of policymakers.

We are hoping to receive materials that express community-based knowledge, practices, values, needs, and/or experiences related to one or more of the assessments. Materials can be submitted in national or local languages. We also welcome recommendations of individuals, communities, organizations and networks that could engage in the development of the assessments as reviewers or contributing authors. 

To read more about the call for contributions and to participate, please follow this link: https://ipbes.net/ilk-global-survey-2023.

The deadline for the call is: 8 May 2023

I thank you in advance for your contributions and for your support of IPBES.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Anne Larigauderie | Executive Secretary
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)