Indigenous challenges under IPBES: embracing indigenous knowledge and beyond

Scientific literature has emphasized indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) systems’ critical contribution to our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem services, their interactions with – and effects on – a changing climate (Sutherland et al., 2014; Tengö et al., 2014). Hence, a fundamental operating principle of IPBES requires that the Platform “recognize(s) and respect(s) the contribution of indigenous and local knowledge to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.”3