Helping Indigenous People Adapt to Climate Change

Indigenous peoples around the world are constantly facing challenges in the fight to adapt to climate change. In the last 3 months a new enemy has appeared. COVID-19 will hit the indigenous population harder than cities that have better health services and a stronger response from the government. Indigenous communities are looking for solutions combining their traditional knowledge with advancements of western medicine and technology.
Lui-Walton Innovator Fellow Cándido Pastor, is working alongside indigenous people’s organizations to respond to the new crisis by isolating indigenous territories, connecting health requirements with national policies and promoting communication campaigns about how to prevent the spread of the disease.
Cándido serves as an advisory member of Coordinator of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon River Basin (La Coordinadora de las Organizaciones Indigenas de la Cueca Amazónica, COICA) – the main indigenous umbrella organization, representing nine South American countries and around 500 indigenous groups in the Amazon basin.