Avoiding a new era in biopiracy: Including indigenous and local knowledge in nature-based solutions to climate change

Abstract

Nature-based solutions (NbS) to climate change, strategies for mitigation and adaptation that rely on natural ecosystem processes to preserve biodiversity and enhance human well-being, hold the potential to contribute to numerous Sustainable Development Goals and uplift Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) that pursue place-based livelihoods. The local ecological and societal expertise housed in Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) could provide substantial benefits to the development, implementation, and evaluation of NbS projects. However, the historical treatment of ILK through misappropriation and biopiracy by the scientific community leave IPLCs politically, socially, culturally, and economically vulnerable to the growing interest in NbS applications to combat climate change. This paper addresses the current state of NbS focused on IPLCs by assessing peer-reviewed literature with criteria developed around the validation, integration, and protection of ILK. The assessment uncovered that most NbS literature does not discuss ILK or the contributions and participation of IPLCs. Such omissions could establish a dangerous precedent of ignoring or misappropriating ILK in NbS projects, possibly ushering in a new era in biopiracy. To facilitate better inclusivity of IPLCs, honor the dual purpose of NbS, and ensure the proper application of ILK in climate response, future NbS projects should detail how ILK is validated, integrated, and protected.