Climate change poses a profound environmental challenge that will leave no country or community untouched. Its social impact, if unaddressed, will reinforce inequalities, deepen poverty and leave the world’s most marginalized populations in greater insecurity. Minorities and indigenous peoples are already living with its consequences, from rising sea levels and higher temperatures to droughts and desertification. The discrimination and exclusion they face in many countries leave them disproportionately exposed to these negative effects. This volume outlines some of the ways that climate change and other environmental pressures are affecting minority and indigenous communities across the world, in some instances placing their entire way of life under threat. Spanning a selection of regional case studies and three thematic chapters, it highlights how the vulnerability of minorities, indigenous peoples and other excluded groups is a product of a wider backdrop of discrimination, encompassing land, housing, culture, livelihoods and migration. The surest means of strengthening their resilience, then, is through protection of their fundamental rights and ensuring their right to participate meaningfully in designing solutions to these challenges. Such an approach could transform communities from victims of climate change impacts to leaders of adaptation – a situation that would not only support the development of a more equitable global society, but also enhance the ability of humanity as a whole to respond to the current crisis.

Climate change poses a profound environmental challenge that will leave no country or community untouched. Its social impact, if unaddressed, will reinforce inequalities, deepen poverty and leave the world’s most marginalized populations in greater insecurity. Minorities and indigenous peoples are already living with its consequences, from rising sea levels and higher temperatures to droughts and desertification. The discrimination and exclusion they face in many countries leave them disproportionately exposed to these negative effects. This volume outlines some of the ways that climate change and other environmental pressures are affecting minority and indigenous communities across the world, in some instances placing their entire way of life under threat. Spanning a selection of regional case studies and three thematic chapters, it highlights how the vulnerability of minorities, indigenous peoples and other excluded groups is a product of a wider backdrop of discrimination, encompassing land, housing, culture, livelihoods and migration. The surest means of strengthening their resilience, then, is through protection of their fundamental rights and ensuring their right to participate meaningfully in designing solutions to these challenges. Such an approach could transform communities from victims of climate change impacts to leaders of adaptation – a situation that would not only support the development of a more equitable global society, but also enhance the ability of humanity as a whole to respond to the current crisis.

Work is central to a whole host of other rights, providing the basis for a safe, healthy and dignified existence. For members of minorities, indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups such as migrants, however, it is all too often an arena of discrimination, abuse and exploitation. From poor pay and dangerous working conditions to a lack of basic labour protections and barriers to promotion, the challenges they face are wide ranging and often entangled in other areas of inequality, such as access to education. This volume brings together thematic chapters and case studies that explore different dimensions of work-related exclusion, from the legacy of colonialism in today’s economy to the persistence of slavery and caste-based discrimination. While abuse and exploitation are often rooted in specific local histories and social contexts, the increasingly interlinked nature of globalization has meant that companies, governments and consumers are now complicit in forced labour and other rights violations taking place elsewhere. A truly fair and inclusive labour market would deliver a wide range of economic and societal benefits, creating opportunities for marginalized workers to participate fully in the formal economy with the same rights, protections and support as those enjoyed by others, guaranteed by international law. Beyond this, however, it has the potential to deliver lasting change to the situation of minorities, indigenous peoples and migrants worldwide, ensuring they receive a proper share of any economic gains in their countries and can participate fully in public life.

It was clear, even in the early days of the pandemic, that minorities, indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities were at greater risk of infection and death from Covid-19. Subsequently, however, it has become apparent that the impacts of the crisis have extended far beyond the immediate health outcomes, with everything from employment and education to housing and mental well-being disrupted. This volume, spanning three thematic chapters and 10 key lessons with accompanying case studies from across the world, demonstrates how in almost every area of life minorities and indigenous peoples have borne a disproportionate burden, exacerbated in many countries by poorly implemented or discriminatory government policies. More fundamentally, however, it argues that much of the inequity and discrimination brought to the surface by the pandemic was present long before the outbreak – and is likely to remain in place without transformative societal change. As countries navigate the uncertain path towards recovery, it is vital that there is more than simply a return to normality. This painful global emergency also offers an opportunity to achieve lasting change to the systemic racism and injustice that minority and indigenous communities have contended with for generations. Without meaningful action to address these underlying issues, however, the world will continue to be exposed to the threat of further health crises in the years to come.

Technology increasingly permeates every aspect of our lives, from the use of big data to information and communication technologies (ICTs) to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. These developments are often framed around issues such as efficiency, speed and innovation, but for minorities, indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups there are often very different forces at play – the replication of existing patterns of exclusion in new forms. While a central aim of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was to reduce social inequalities within societies, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how profound the gap remains for minorities and indigenous peoples in many countries. Though there is much hope and uncertainty around the possibilities of ‘track and trace’ mobile applications and other emerging technologies to resolve the crisis, without a firm commitment to social justice and universal access it is likely that many will be denied their benefits. With minorities and indigenous peoples disproportionately represented among the world’s poor, it is not surprising that poverty is itself a major barrier to these groups accessing mobile phones, computers and other technologies. Besides the issue of affordability, there may be physical and geographic constraints, particularly for communities in rural or remote locations. In addition, other hurdles such aslimited information in minority or indigenous languages can compound lack of access. For marginalized groups within minority and indigenous communities, such as persons with disabilities, further significant issues arise — for instance, whether websites are accessible and compatible with assistive technologies. The need for a more holistic approach to technology is therefore more urgent than ever, with an emphasis not only on affordable pricing and accessible delivery, but also culturally appropriate and inclusive design. Importantly, an inclusive approach to technology should translate not only to equitable access as users but also meaningful participation in their development. At present, however, minority and indigenous employment in sectors such as computing remains low. This poses a fundamental challenge to the creation of more diverse technologies downstream.

The past year saw some of the worst cyclones recorded in the Pacific, some of the costliest and worst ever recorded floods in Australia, Pakistan and across the African continent, coupled with major droughts affecting parts of Central, East and Southern Africa, the Americas, Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East, prompting many experts to declare that the planet’s water cycle has been severely disrupted due to human activity. For members of minorities, indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups, the water crisis is often an existential threat affecting numerous rights such as to life, health, self-governance, sanitation and culture. Water justice cannot be attained unless the communities that protect water systems from the threats of extractivism, overuse and pollution are prioritized in the international arena. Community-led solutions, drawing on traditional knowledge systems, are the key to solving the water crisis. This year’s Minority and Indigenous Trends report brings together three thematic chapters and over thirty case studies written by members of communities on the frontline of the water crisis, as well as leading water activists, researchers and policymakers. These first-hand accounts cover a range of issues, from conflict in water-stressed parts of the world to cultural forms of water conservancy and peaceful governance. The ways in which water issues affect the lives of minority and indigenous women, children and people with disabilities, to mention a few intersectional aspects of the water crisis, are highlighted in this volume. Resolving the difficulties they face is an inextricable aspect of planetary water justice.

'Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples offers the most comprehensive resource for advancing our understanding of one of the least coherently developed of climate change policy realms – legal protection of vulnerable indigenous populations. The first part of the book provides a tremendously useful background on the cultural, policy, and legal context of indigenous peoples, with special emphasis on developing general principles for climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions. The remainder of the volume then carefully and thoroughly works through how those general principles play out for different regional indigenous populations around the globe. All of the contributions to the volume are by leading experts who bring their insights and innovative thinking to bear on a truly complex subject. Whether as a novice's starting point or expert's desktop reference, I cannot think of a more useful resource for anyone interested in climate policy for indigenous peoples.' – J.B. Ruhl, Vanderbilt University Law School, US 'In Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples, editors Randy Abate and Elizabeth Kronk have assembled a truly comprehensive and informative look at the special issues that indigenous peoples face as a result of climate impacts and an overview of the law – international and domestic, climate change and human rights, substantive and procedural – that applies to those issues. One of the great strengths of the book is that no group of indigenous people is made to stand proxy for all the others; instead, after exploring the general issues facing all indigenous peoples and the general legal strategies they use, the book focuses most of its attention on the specific climate change issues that confront particular groups – South American indigenous peoples; the various tribes of Native Americans in the US; the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, collectively as well as in respect to particular Arctic countries; Pacific Islanders; indigenous peoples in Asia; the various groups of Aborigines and Torres Islanders in Australia; the Maori on New Zealand; and several tribes in Kenya, Africa. For people interested in climate change and climate change adaptation, this book provides a unique overview of the special vulnerabilities and plights of indigenous peoples, issues that must be considered as the world works to formulate effective and protective climate change adaptation policies. For people interested in indigenous peoples and international human rights, this book paints a grim picture of the various ways in which climate change threatens this very diverse group of cultural entities and the deep knowledge of place that they usually possess, while at the same time offering hope that the law can find ways to keep them from disappearing – and, indeed, that indigenous peoples might just help the rest of us to survive, as well.' – Robin Kundis Craig, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, US 'It is one of the world's cruelest ironies that some of the earliest effects of climate change are being felt by indigenous populations around the world, even though they contributed no more than trivial amounts of the greenhouse gases that are at the root of much of the problem, and they are so politically and economically powerless that they played no role in the decisions that have led to their plight. At the same time, many of these populations are victimized by certain actions designed to reduce emissions, such as land clearing for biofuels cultivation, and restrictions on forest use. Professors Abate and Kronk have assembled a formidable collection of experts from around the world who demonstrate the diversity of challenges facing these indigenous peoples, and the opportunities and challenges in using various international and domestic legal tools to seek redress. This book will be an invaluable resource for all those examining the legal remedies that may be available, either now or as the law develops in the years to come.' – Michael B. Gerrard, Columbia Law School, US This timely volume explores the ways in which indigenous peoples across the world are challenged by climate change impacts, and discusses the legal resources available to confront those challenges. Indigenous peoples occupy a unique niche within the climate justice movement, as many indigenous communities live subsistence lifestyles that are severely disrupted by the effects of climate change. Additionally, in many parts of the world, domestic law is applied differently to indigenous peoples than it is to their non-indigenous peers, further complicating the quest for legal remedies. The contributors to this book bring a range of expert legal perspectives to this complex discussion, offering both a comprehensive explanation of climate change-related problems faced by indigenous communities and a breakdown of various real world attempts to devise workable legal solutions. Regions covered include North and South America (Brazil, Canada, the US and the Arctic), the Pacific Islands (Fiji, Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia), Australia and New Zealand, Asia (China and Nepal) and Africa (Kenya). This comprehensive volume will appeal to professors and students of environmental law, indigenous law and international law, as well as practitioners and policymakers with an interest in indigenous legal issues and environmental justice.