Unlocking Funding for Indigenous Stewardship: A Transformative Approach to Conservation Financing

Indigenous Peoples and local communities play a vital role in safeguarding the world's biodiversity and mitigating climate change, yet they receive a mere fraction of global conservation and climate financing. This article explores the barriers they face in accessing multilateral funding and proposes solutions to enable a deeper transformation in partnerships between funders and these frontline stewards of nature.

Empowering the Guardians of Nature: A Call for Equitable Financing

The Untapped Potential of Indigenous Stewardship

Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage or govern 17% of all forest carbon and 39% of global lands in good ecological condition, yet they receive just a tiny fraction of climate and biodiversity financing. This disconnect is a critical barrier to achieving global conservation and climate goals. To unlock the full potential of these nature stewards, a profound shift in the way multilateral funders engage with them is urgently needed.

Barriers to Accessing Multilateral Funding

The current multilateral financing system is plagued by several key challenges that hinder Indigenous Peoples and local communities from accessing the resources they need. These include:1. Insufficient Funding: Global disbursements for Indigenous and local community tenure rights account for just 0.5% of the $96 billion in climate finance flows from multilateral funds.2. Funding Not Reaching Communities: Over the past 13 years, just 3% of funding projects accounted for over half of disbursements, with most channeled through third parties rather than directly to rights-holder organizations.3. Misaligned Priorities and Approaches: The segmented approach of many multilateral organizations often fails to align with the holistic, community-based conservation methods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.4. Burdensome Application and Reporting Processes: Complex, language-inaccessible application processes and onerous reporting requirements create significant barriers for grassroots organizations.5. Inadequate Funding Durations: Short-term project cycles and inflexible disbursement schedules often fail to meet the long-term needs and realities of Indigenous and local communities.

Transforming Partnerships for Equitable Financing

To address these challenges and unlock greater access to funding for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, a deep transformation in the way multilateral funders operate is required. This includes:1. Cultural Transformation: Multilateral institutions must foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous and local approaches to conservation, enabling them to better adapt their funding models and decision-making processes.2. Dedicated Funding Windows: Establishing dedicated funding windows specifically for Indigenous Peoples and local communities can enhance the reach and flexibility of financial support, allowing for the integration of biodiversity, climate, and socio-cultural priorities.3. Simplified Application and Reporting: Streamlining funding frameworks, accreditation processes, and reporting protocols can significantly reduce the administrative burden on grassroots organizations, enabling them to focus on project execution.4. Flexible, Responsive Funding: Providing longer-term, flexible funding that can be quickly deployed during crises can better support the needs and realities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.5. Capacity Strengthening: Investing in long-term capacity building for Indigenous and local organizations can help them become eligible for direct funding, while also addressing donor perceptions of risk.

Unlocking the Power of Indigenous Stewardship

As the world faces the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in safeguarding the planet's natural resources has never been more evident. By transforming the way multilateral funders engage with these frontline stewards of nature, we can unlock the full potential of their conservation efforts and ensure a more equitable and sustainable future for all.