Africa

Indigenous peoples in Africa live in varied ecosystems, including savannah grasslands, deserts, coastal areas, tropical forests and other kinds of forests, to name just a few. Many have traditional livelihoods/lifestyles based on seasonal and annual patterns of sustainably utilizing resources within their lands and territories as reflected in their poems, songs, language and stories. For many, livelihoods are dependent on nature. They have a wealth of indigenous knowledge and capacity to observe, monitor and make informed decisions about the use of natural resources, and have developed and innovated since time immemorial.

African indigenous peoples are adapting to climate change using their knowledge systems and customary practices. These are important sources of wisdom that can inform climate policy, practice and decision making at local, national regional and international levels. Afar pastoralists, for example, use a comprehensive traditional system of observation and analysis to aid decision making, and gather indicators through ranged scouting, sharing through a traditional knowledge network, and analysis by village elders. Others, like the Turkana peoples, structure their calendar based on observed changes, rather than on a fixed progression of time. This allows them to adapt their practices to the changes in climate and weather and enhance their adaptive capacity. The rainmakers of the Nganyi community, as another example, have collaborated with meteorologists to co-produce forecasts that are then shared throughout the community and by regional meteorological networks, enhancing the forecasting ability and readiness of all.

For more resources and information, to see news and events, and to engage with regional representatives, organisations and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, please see below.

Current member/alternate from the region
Edna Kaptoyo
Current members
Edna Kaptoyo
ednakaptoyo@yahoo.com
Image to be added
Alternates
Handaine Mohamed
Former member/alternate from the region
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Former members
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Edna Kaptoyo
Current members
Edna Kaptoyo
ednakaptoyo@yahoo.com

Meet the former representative of the indigenous sociocultural region of Africa: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim. Environmental activist and member of Chad’s pastoralist Mbororo community, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim began advocating for indigenous rights and environmental protection at age 16. She founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) to introduce new income revenue activities for women and collaborative tools. Such tools include 3D participatory mapping to build sustainable ecosystems management and reduction of nature-based resource conflicts. Her vision is to grow support for both traditional knowledge and science to improve resilience to climate change, especially for rural communities.

Hindou is a member of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC) and served as co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change during the historic UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris. She is dedicated to the protection of all indigenous peoples, from the Congo to the Arctic, and the value of their knowledge in the fight against climate change. She advances environmental protection for indigenous peoples by participating in international policy dialogues held around the three Rio Conventions (Climate Change under the UNFCCC, Biodiversity under the CBD, and Desertification under the UNCCD) pressuring governments to recognize land rights of indigenous peoples and advance their solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation. Her work with indigenous communities at the local and global level has achieved broad recognition and support including, the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award: the 2020 Refugee International’s Refugees International Holbrooke Award; the Daniel Mitterrand Prize; appointment as a UN SDG Advocate, Conservation International Board Member and Lui-Walton Senior Fellow; Member of the EAT Advisory Board; named Ambassador of the EDEN Project; and National Geographic Explorer. She was recognized by the BBC  as a top 100 women leader and by TIME's Women Leaders in Climate Change. Her TED talk “Indigenous knowledge meets science to take on climate change” has surpassed more than 1 million views.

Edna Kaptoyo represents indigenous peoples organizations from the UN indigenous sociocultural region: Africa.

Edna Kaptoyo is a social development specialist, indigenous peoples’ rights and climate and gender justice advocate. She worked as a Programme Officer for Indigenous Information Network (IIN), involved in social awareness raising and policy advocacy, climate change, biodiversity, the advancement of indigenous peoples and women's rights.

She also worked as Executive Secretary of the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests (IAITPTF) , focused on policy advocacy for indigenous peoples rights. 

She has focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation, climate finance, disaster risk reduction, human rights and sustainable development projects for the past 15 years. Ms Kaptoyo is passionate about sustainable development and the promotion of inter-disciplinary approaches to capacity development, project design and project implementation and policy.  She has a keen interest in co-developing projects and supporting sustainable self-determined development at different levels. She focuses at local, regional and international levels to provide reflective spaces, which help to connect local actors to share solutions and shape policy whilst ensuring that the voices of indigenous peoples, including indigenous women, are heard.

Indigenous Knowledge Holders regionally nominated to attend LCIPP Mandated Events at COP
  1. Nailejileji Tipap (COP 26)
  2. Gakemotho Satau (COP 26)
  3. Aissatou Dicko (COP 26)
  4. Balkisou Buba (COP 27)
  5. Sada Alberchir (COP 27)
  6. Aïssatou Oumarou (COP 27)
  7. Saro Pyagbara (COP 27)
  8. Faith Nataya (COP 27)
  9. Ali Mohamed Adan (COP 28)
  10. Jean-Mary Tjiohimba (COP 28)
  11. Latifa Douch (COP 28)
  12. Oumou Dicko (COP 28)
  13. Egide Mboyolo (COP 28) 
Organizations

Organizations relevant to Indigenous Peoples in the region will appear here. 

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The information on these pages is not intended to be exhaustive. Is this information accurate? If you have any comments, please do not hesitate to contact us: LCIPP@unfccc.int
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