Shrinking Spaces: Indigenous Peoples on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis

For many Indigenous peoples of Asia, the climate crisis is existential. Sea-level rise and natural disasters are shrinking the land and environment on which Indigenous peoples depend, and threatening the loss of their livelihoods and culture.

With these challenges mounting, what can the international community do to support Indigenous peoples in mitigating climate damage and adapting to a new reality? What do members of the Indigenous communities in Asia want from historic emitters? And what policies or tools are working to integrate Indigenous peoples and practices into the global response to climate change?

Please join us for an expert panel to discuss these issues and more. This program is presented in conjunction with Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala, on view at Asia Society Museum, September 17, 2024 - January 5, 2025.

Speakers
Nina Kantcheva is a Senior Policy Adviser on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Engagement at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Nina has close to 20 years of experience in bringing the voices of IPLCs to various policies and working with the UN and NGOs on rights protection, capacity building, and community development. Nina brings a deep understanding of Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ needs and concerns, as well as of ways of partnering effectively to achieve climate and biodiversity goals.

Dr. Arpitha Kodiveri is an environmental law and justice scholar and assistant professor of political science at Vassar College. Her work focuses on the role of law in the context of redressing climate harms faced by indigenous communities in South Asia. Her previous research examines land conflicts and legal mobilization by forest-dwelling communities in India. She has worked as an environmental lawyer supporting Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities in India. She is the recipient of the Hans Kelsen Fellowship at the EUI and the Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship.

Binalakshmi “Bina” Nepram is the senior adviser on Indigenous issues for the religion and inclusive societies team at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Nepram joined USIP after spending time as a fellow at the Carr Centre for Human Rights, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Governance and at Harvard’s Asia Centre, where she worked on documenting Indigenous nations and aspects of gender and peacebuilding with Indigenous women peacebuilders. Prior to joining Harvard University, Nepram also worked at Connecticut College, where she taught a course called “Women, War and Peace.” Nepram also was a research assistant in the Indigenous rights summer program organized by Institute of Human Rights at Columbia University.

Farwa Aamer (moderator) is the Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) in New York where she oversees the institute’s policy work and projects in South Asia. Prior to ASPI, Farwa worked at the Stimson Center where she led research on the security, political, and socio-economic dimensions of transboundary river governance in the Himalayan region. Through her work, Farwa has organized and convened high-level Track II dialogues and discussions designed to facilitate greater inter-and intra-regional cooperation on issues and opportunities concerning water, energy, climate change, and sustainable development in South Asia, MENA, and Central Asia. Farwa also worked on highlighting the disproportionate impacts of climate change and water insecurity on women. From 2017 to 2021, Farwa was with the EastWest Institute (EWI) and served as the Director of the South Asia program. At EWI, Farwa worked on promoting non-traditional channels of diplomacy and establishing multi-stakeholder platforms for shared economic, financial, and geopolitical interests by bringing together policy shapers, media influencers, thought leaders, and business experts from within South Asia and across the globe.