Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Land Rights For Indigenous Communities

Indigenous people are under threat from companies seeking to develop their land for agriculture, mining and energy projects.

Indigenous people and rural communities have customary claims to two-thirds of the world's land but are legally recognised as holding only 10 percent, according to the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a global network. This has contributed to an increase in conflicts over land in countries rich in tropical forests and natural resources as agribusinesses, mining and energy companies lay claim to indigenous land and forests.

Forests absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide and when they are degraded or destroyed, the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere. Deforestation accounts for 10 to 15 percent of carbon emissions worldwide.

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