Health In Harmony’s Radical Approach at COP16: A Call to Center Indigenous Knowledge

Laura Tesch (right) manages Health In Harmony’s Radical Listening Program and Consultancy.

As the world gathers for COP16, we must acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples have been the stewards of biodiversity since time immemorial. Their tested ways of knowing and science are not only integral to conserving nature but also to restoring ecosystems and addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. 

These systems, shaped by generations of stewardship and profound ecological insight, offer critical solutions to safeguard biodiversity and promote planetary health. Health In Harmony (HIH) stands as a powerful example of how centering Indigenous leadership and knowledge through Radical Listening can lead to community-driven, sustainable conservation efforts. The global environmental crisis demands urgent action. The key to overcoming it lies in the knowledge and leadership of Indigenous Peoples. 

The recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) underscores the importance of translating biodiversity goals into actionable national policies. After a four-year consultation and negotiation process, the Framework (GBF) calls for translating biodiversity targets into national actions. 

Indigenous approaches provide the blueprint for this. By integrating nature-based solutions, community-led conservation, and planetary health principles—core tenets of Indigenous knowledge—we can achieve the framework’s ambitious goals and targets.

HIH’s model of centering Indigenous Peoples and rainforest communities’ knowledge through Radical Listening results in community-led, planetary health solutions and shows that genuine conservation cannot be transactional. It must be based on long-term partnerships that respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and sovereignty.

It is therefore crucial to emphasize that Indigenous participation in biodiversity conservation must go beyond mere consultation. As rights holders and shareholders, not stakeholders, Indigenous peoples must be central decision-makers in both policy and practice. This requires respecting Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and ensuring financial resources—such as those discussed under COP16’s Global Biodiversity Framework Fund—directly fund Indigenous-led solutions. 

Only by centering these approaches can COP16’s ambitious targets be met in a way that respects sovereignty and fosters genuine planetary health.