Indigenous languages as contributors to the preservation of biodiversity and their presence in international environmental law

Abstract

Most of the places with the highest concentration of biological diversity coincide with spaces inhabited by indigenous peoples, whose members continue to speak the language of their ancestors. The traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities, indispensable for the sustainable management and conservation of biodiversity, are usually transmitted through indigenous languages. The CBD is the only legally binding instrument for environmental protection that relates to the role of indigenous peoples in the conservation of natural resources and the achievement of sustainable development. Even though this instrument does not directly refer to the protection of indigenous languages, its article 8(j), especially related to the protection and preservation of knowledge, innovations, and practices of indigenous and local communities, has opened a door to action on these languages. It is therefore of great importance to evaluate the development of the objectives, goals, indicators, and actions established by the CBD through the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, especially in relation to traditional knowledge and indigenous languages, in order to define the level of recognition that the close interrelation between these languages and the preservation of biodiversity have at the international level.