Promoting the Rights of Panama’s Indigenous Peoples in Climate Change Initiatives

This project seeks to promote the informed engagement of indigenous communities with policy makers and donors regarding programs for reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).

Location:Panama
Partner: Foundation for the Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge (FPCI)

Project description

Background:Programs for reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation – known as REDD – are intended to help avert rainforest destruction and provide social and economic benefits to forest peoples. Depending on how REDD initiatives are carried out, however, they also risk establishing perverse incentives and top-down models for forest protection, leading to land grabs and unfair distribution of benefits.
Panama was one of the first countries to focus on REDD issues through the World Bank and UN programs, and has also explored options for entering into private carbon markets. Panama retains vast tracts of intact tropical rainforests, approximately 30% of which overlap indigenous territories. In order to implement REDD programs, the government and these agencies must therefore consult indigenous peoples. To date, the consultation processes in Panama have not incorporated feedback from indigenous peoples, and the principal outcome has been indigenous groups requesting more information about REDD. Meanwhile, the government continues to apply pressure to endorse initiatives without incorporating input from indigenous communities. This project therefore seeks to build community capacity and to provide indigenous leaders with the tools needed to engage proactively on REDD issues with national and international policymakers.

Activities:
•A national workshop on REDD and indigenous peoples
•Community meetings and workshops
•Development of a common strategy with indigenous peoples and NGOs across Panama
•Targeted advocacy and networking at the national and international levels

Did you know?

•Approximately 57% of Panama retains forest cover, of which 70% of this is primary forest
•The annual deforestation rate between 1990-2005 was approximately 0.126% per year
•Panama is home to seven indigenous peoples: the Bribri, Bugle, Emberá, Kuna, Naso (or Teribe), Ngobe, and Wounaan, comprising approximately 6% of the total population.
•Indigenous peoples in Panama live in more remote, forested areas both along the coast and in the interior. Most remain close to their traditional practices, relying on the forest for survival.